Trucking

During this podcast, Nightingale provided a detailed overview of the new Cowen/AFS Freight Index report and variuous market issues.

The FMSCA says only 113 motor carriers have applied for its under-21 truck driver apprenticeship program since July 2022. That is a very disappointing turnout for an initiative that the government had expected to recruit up to 1,000 carriers and 3,000 drivers.

As oil prices creep back over $4 a gallon, we look at the underlying reasons for this unexpected increase.

The new "State of Transportation" report reveals volatile weather, sustainability, and other factors are impacting overall performance.

The new edition of the TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index, which was recently released by New York-based investment firm TD Cowen Inc. and Shreveport, La.-based 3PL and freight audit and payment company AFS Logistics LLC, was somewhat mixed, with less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload rates steady, and parcel rates being impacted by fuel surcharge increases and various accessorial charges amid lower demand.

The trucking industry is speaking out on the Biden administration's new emission standards for heavy-duty trucks.

FedEx? Old Dominion? XPO? Find out which trucking companies are leading the way.

FTR reported that preliminary March net orders, at 18,200 units, were down 34% compared to February and off 4% annually. ACT reported that March preliminary North America Class 8 orders, at 17,300 units, were off 10,400 units, or roughly 40%, compared to February, and off 8.7% annually.

The trucking industry says new, tougher-than-expected emission standards for heavy-duty trucks recently announced by the Biden Administration have unachievable targets and will carry real consequences for the U.S. supply chain and movement of freight throughout the economy.

The best fleets, buffeted by higher costs and now increasing environmental mandates, manage to stay ahead of competition through vision, strategy, and execution. But in the end, executives say it’s their people who make the biggest difference.

For January, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading came in at 3.3, marking a 3% decline December’s 6.4 reading and also below November’s 6.3. October had topped September's 4.3 by 2%, with FTR saying at the time reflected the most favorable market conditions for shippers since June 2023.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has won what the union calls “a major victory” in a breach of contract lawsuit against Yellow Corp. Unfortunately for about 24,000 Teamsters who lost their jobs when Yellow ceased operations last August, the victory arrives about nine months too late.

LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently spoke with Mike Burkhart, VP of Mexico, for Minneapolis-based global logistics services provider and freight forwarder C.H. Robinson, about the ongoing nearshoring push into Mexico and what shippers need to know and be prepared for in order to establish cross-border supply chain and logistics operations south of the border.

As key parts of this expansion, the company said that it has set up new locations in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Laredo, Texas, and also tapped 30-year logistics veteran Troy Ryley as President, Echo Mexico.

Company officials explained that drop and hook services provide various benefits for shippers and carriers, providing flexible transportation solutions for the former, and enhanced efficiency and earnings potential for the latter.