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William B. Cassidy

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, TruckingmailLinkedin

Bill Cassidy is senior editor of trucking, and co-chair of the annual Inland Distribution Conference. He joined the Journal of Commerce in 2009, after 13 years at Traffic World. Based in Washington, DC, he has been reporting on trucking since 1984, when he joined Fleet Owner magazine in New York

Read William B.'s Latest Coverage

Analysts divided over pace of US truckload recovery, while LTL gains speed

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Speakers at the SMC3 Connections Conference this week warned that US truckload pricing will rise slowly heading toward 2025, although others expect a faster move.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

US imports accelerate, but inland transport lags: CSCMP

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
US importers are pulling forward orders to avoid potential congestion, but trucking and intermodal networks are still slack, speakers said at the launch of CSCMP’s State of Logistics report.
Supply chainTrucking NewsTransport, Trade and Regulation NewsContainer Shipping News

US truckload spot rate metric turns positive for first time in 27 months 

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The average US transactional dry-van truckload rate rose “a fraction” above its year-ago level Wednesday, following strong year-over-year gains in spot market volumes, according to DAT Freight & Analytics.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

US truck tonnage rose in May, but freight demand remains uncertain

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Despite a 7.1% unadjusted month-to-month increase in mostly contractual truck tonnage, more data is needed before the American Trucking Associations will call it a “recovery.”
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

Weaker US produce volumes help keep lid on truckload rates

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Produce shipments by weight have dropped in 2024, and that’s helped maintain “adequate” truckload capacity in most parts of the US, the Department of Agriculture said.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

US truckload spot rates rise, but still below year-ago levels

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
This year’s truckload spot rates are hugging the baseline set in 2023 as the freight recession drags on; a major increase seems unlikely anytime soon.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

Canadian border agency, workers reach tentative deal on new contract

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The preliminary agreement avoids a strike that could have created traffic jams along the US-Canada border, disrupting trade and manufacturing. 
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

Threat of Canadian border agent strike delayed, but not dead

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Shippers need to consider contingency plans for truck shipments crossing the US-Canadian border in case Canada’s Customs and Immigration Union calls a strike this week.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

US trucking hiring falters in May on low freight demand

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Last month’s actual trucking employment gain was lower than expected as the US economy added more jobs in service industries such as hospitality and healthcare. 
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckloadTrucking labor

Saia still benefiting from Yellow’s collapse as US LTL market resets

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Saia’s 18.6% year-over-year gain in LTL shipments in May underscores the ongoing impact of Yellow’s bankruptcy, while larger ODFL reports smaller “Yellow-free” gains in volume.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Sale of remaining Yellow terminals stalls amid court battles 

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Yellow still has 130 terminals that could be sold, but they’re not quite ready for the auction block, bankruptcy court testimony revealed this week.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Transfix selling digital brokerage business to NFI Industries

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
One of the first “digital-native” brokerages, Transfix is shifting its focus to selling software as a service to other brokers, including NFI.
Supply chainTrucking NewsLogistics Technology NewsTruckload

US LTL providers adding trucks as they build out terminals

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Earnings records show several big LTL carriers are expanding their tractor and trailer fleets in the post-Yellow market to keep pace with terminal expansion.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Intermodal rail, private fleets absorbing US freight growth: Cass

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
US shippers are playing a direct role in keeping the for-hire truck market soft as they tactically shift freight to in-house fleets, according to Cass Freight Index.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

XPO using former Yellow facilities to gain share in growth markets

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Like many of its LTL competitors, XPO is using former Yellow terminals to build density in major freight markets such as Baltimore-Washington, D.C.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Gap between US LTL, truckload pricing growing

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Average US truckload pricing has hardly risen since last June, while less-than-truckload costs continue to climb due to tighter capacity.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

US shippers 'sensitive' to overstocking inventories: BlueGrace Logistics

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Increased negative sentiment toward inventory growth among surveyed shippers points to “no-build-and-hold” leaner inventory strategies that would dull freight demand.
Supply chainTrucking NewsTruckload

Forward Air claims ‘no customer attrition’ following Omni merger

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The expedited surface transportation provider said it has kept customers and is adding business but needs to “aggressively” address profitability after a first-quarter loss.
SurfaceTrucking NewsForwardingLTL

Large US truckload carriers cutting more deeply into capacity

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The Journal of Commerce Truckload Capacity Index dropped to its lowest level since 2017 as large truckload carriers cut trucks loose, but excess capacity remains.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

Outlook for US freight economy remains cloudy despite early import surge

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
A rise in US imports is fueling optimism, especially among ocean carriers, but manufacturing’s malaise is tempering hopes for a broader transportation recovery.
SurfaceTrucking NewsRail NewsContainer Shipping News

XPO readies former Yellow terminals as LTL shipment count rises

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The third-largest US LTL provider is joining competitors renovating and opening terminals acquired from Yellow and expects to complete that work by early 2025.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Decline in US truck shipments, rates lowering truck market’s floor: U.S. Bank

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Continued year-over-year contraction in truckload shipments and shipper spending in the first quarter means the next pricing upswing is likely to be slow, rather than sudden.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

Power grid upgrade, robust charging network needed for electric vehicles: ATA

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Although electric trucks are improving, the electricity and charging networks needed to power them are not ready, Pitt Ohio’s Taki Darakos told a US House committee.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTransport, Trade and Regulation NewsLTL

Ryder expands in El Paso to meet rising manufacturing demand

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The impact of companies relocating manufacturing to Mexico is beginning to be felt, with Ryder’s freight volumes rising all along the US-Mexico border.
SurfaceTrucking NewsSupply chainTruckload

Saia opening LTL terminals as it absorbs double-digit volume gains

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The LTL carrier said it will open 15 to 20 terminals this year in a cadence that will help improve efficiency in its network.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Knight-Swift to open 32 LTL terminals in 2024, expanding super-regional network

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The transportation holding company has set a multi-year “medium-term” LTL revenue target of $2 billion, nearly double its 2023 LTL revenue.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

Knight-Swift girds truckload operations, awaits ‘catalyst’ for market upturn

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Cost and pricing pressures are tightening truckload margins, but Knight-Swift CEO Adam Miller sees supply and demand getting “closer to a balance.”
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

ODFL steers steadily toward LTL revival, citing manufacturing gains

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The second-largest US LTL provider is protecting its “excess capacity,” and investing in terminals, equipment and people while waiting for improved freight demand.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

US freight recovery ‘likely within couple of months’: ACT Research

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
With Class 8 truck orders dropping, ACT Research believes rising US freight demand will hit tightening truck capacity sooner rather than later.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

UPS volume improves, but consumers shifting toward lower-priced services

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
US package shippers are shifting from air to ground and from premium-priced to deferred services, UPS says, boosting its SurePost volumes by 10%.
Supply chainAir Cargo Carriers NewsLast Mile News

More ex-Yellow LTL terminals reopen under new ownership amid capacity boost

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
XPO, Estes and Saia are starting to reopen terminals they acquired from bankrupt Yellow, adding to LTL trucking capacity as they pursue new business.
SurfaceTrucking NewsIndustrial Real Estate NewsLTL

Warehousing demand in Southern California lagging import surge, for now

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Warehouse vacancy rates are still rising in Southern California due to what Prologis says is a long correction, but a wave of imports may change that.
Supply chainSurfaceIndustrial Real Estate News

Shippers putting ‘greater-than-expected pressure’ on freight rates: Knight-Swift

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Knight-Swift and rival J.B. Hunt both say shippers are pushing hard for lower truckload and intermodal rates in service contracts as freight demand remains soft.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

Penske AI tool aims to help shippers manage, benchmark private fleets

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
A machine learning-based platform will access data on more than 400,000 vehicles to help shippers evaluate the performance and cost of in-house trucking operations.
SurfaceTrucking NewsTruckload

J.B. Hunt Q1 intermodal demand flat despite US import surge

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
The country’s largest intermodal trucking provider was hit by a see-saw effect in early 2024 as a “dogfight” with truckers in the East balanced import gains in the West. 
SurfaceRail NewsTruckloadNorth-American rail

US freight demand still soft but ‘broadly consistent’: Cass

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
There are signs of growth in the latest Cass Freight Index, but US transportation markets lack a catalyst that would accelerate volumes.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

Roadrunner expands in Atlanta with overhaul of former Yellow terminal

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
A rebuilt facility with 75 dock doors and parking for 300 trailers will anchor Roadrunner’s network in the Southeast as the less-than-truckload carrier expands.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTL

US truckload exits slowing, LTL pricing ‘normalizing’ in second quarter

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
Improving economic indicators are drawing small carriers back to trucking, while the LTL market continues settling post-Yellow, analysts told a Journal of Commerce webcast.
SurfaceTrucking NewsLTLTruckload

Economic indicators point to slow growth in US freight demand

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
A rebound in the US Freight Transportation Services Index is the latest of several indicators pointing to stronger seasonal freight activity, but excess capacity is diluting the impact of demand. 
SurfaceTrucking NewsSupply chainLTLTruckload

Lineage Logistics links US, Canadian cold storage networks with new service

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, Trucking |
A cross-border temperature-controlled truckload and LTL service will connect key facilities in the company’s North American cold chain distribution network.
SurfaceTrucking NewsCool Cargo News
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