Trucking News

Shippers “will have to be innovative” to avoid delays caused by COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers crossing the US-Canadian border.

Transporeon is adding a transportation management software provider focused on automation and a tool for carriers to optimize truckload capacity, the latest acquisitions in a run that started in fall 2020.

Competition in 2022’s truckload market will be for space, not for the lowest rates, as shippers race to get their goods on trailers and carriers compete for drivers who are increasingly opting to stick closer to home.

E-commerce demand, inventory restocking, and increased manufacturing output will keep LTL carriers in flux and LTL pricing high in 2022.

The creation of Ascend from the combination of two existing companies highlights fast growth in the regional market for “middle-mile” e-commerce freight.

The acquisition of EHS Trucking allows RoadOne to connect East Coast and Midwest intermodal and truckload operations.

Seasonality was behind the large increases in courier and delivery employment and a drop in trucking employment last month; beneath the surface, there’s tooth-and-nail competition for labor.

The fast-spreading variant of COVID-19 likely won’t affect trucking as much as warehousing and aviation, but its indirect impact will put more pressure on already high trucking costs.

Increases in spot truckload rates to Chicago from eastern US ports are outpacing rate hikes off the West Coast, as the spot market enters 2022 at record price levels amid “extraordinary” demand.

The purchase of Midwest Logistics Systems brings more than 1,000 drivers to Schneider National’s dedicated operations and brings the carrier’s annual dedicated revenue closer to $1 billion.

Stoughton Trailers, one of two major 53-foot chassis manufacturers in the US, will open a production line in Texas, the third plant the Wisconsin-based company devoted to building chassis.

Logistics providers are largely embracing a buy-and-build approach to serve their shipper and carrier ecosystems, realizing that internal development resources aren’t usually enough to cater for all their software needs.

Although the US supply chain is in desperate need of more chassis, it will take a while longer before enough chassis are injected into the market to make a notable difference.

Railroads and chassis providers will deploy more than 10,000 domestic chassis next year to reduce supply chain congestion, which in turn should lower demurrage fees.

A White House plan to encourage more trucking companies to recruit drivers via apprenticeships isn’t a short-term fix but may help long-haul carriers find drivers for the long term.

FedEx Freight handled higher freight volumes and helped with the delivery of FedEx Ground packages this fall, relying on price hikes and “judicious” network management.

Once often discounted, general rate increases are going to stick as LTL trucking demand grows faster than capacity.

Convoy’s recent foray into developing technology for use by other brokers hints at a future where freight procurement is centered around platforms where companies complement and compete with one another.

Redwood CEO Mark Yeager said the company’s acquisition by a new private equity firm gives the Chicago-based 3PL ammunition to compete in a market that has seen “dramatic consolidation” in 2021.

The diversion of freight from intermodal rail to truck adds miles to import shipments, significantly increasing costs, the Cass Freight Index finds.

The $480 million purchase of the former Port Logistics Group connects seaports more closely to Ryder System’s e-commerce fulfillment network.

LTL shippers that used Central Freight Lanes should expect their transportation costs to rise in a tightening market in the wake of the Texas-based carrier’s sudden closure.

Venture capital firms have boosted the coffers of two startups aiming to empower the domestic and cross-border trucking industry in Mexico as investment into logistics technology providers continues.

Outbound truck spot rates to Chicago from US ports and border entry points are surging, with the biggest increases in eastbound lanes off the West Coast.

IHS Markit expects US GDP to expand 7.1 percent in the fourth quarter, based on a $130 billion jump in inventory investment in October that represents goods “pulled forward” from 2022.

Bills in the US Senate and House have been introduced to establish a gray chassis pool in Memphis as proponents also push the issue before regulators.

The for-hire trucking industry lost jobs in November, as it typically does, but fewer than anticipated as couriers and warehouses grabbed the most new employees amid strong pre-holiday demand.

The largest US truckload operator acquired its second LTL carrier this year, bringing it closer to a national network and more than $900 million in LTL revenue.

NACPC, a trucker-owned chassis provider, is purchasing chassis manufacturer Pratt Industries, the first time a chassis provider has gotten directly involved in chassis production.

Several factors are diminishing shipper expectations for new truck capacity in 2022, as Class 8 truck production and delivery dates are pushed out more than a year and backlogs build.

The ninth-largest LTL carrier is in a race to build out its network capacity as more freight and heavier shipments hit its docks.

Ashley Furniture has purchased Wilson Logistics, a large truckload and logistics provider in the western US, the second transaction in recent weeks of a cargo owner taking direct control of transportation.

A spot market gold rush is enlarging a hiring gap between large and small trucking companies, posing challenges for larger carriers seeking drivers and for shippers moving large volumes of freight.

CloudTrucks, which provides independent drivers with software to manage their businesses, has landed a massive funding round from prominent venture capital investors.

Teamsters rank-and-file members have elected critics of outgoing General President James P. Hoffa to lead the union in a more militant direction.

It’s time for shippers and trucking operators to ask themselves what they’ve learned during the COVID-19 capacity crunch to plan for a better future, writes Brian Fielkow, CEO of trucking carrier and broker Jetco Delivery.

Southeastern Freight Lines is working with Relay Payments to automate accessorial payment processes such as “lumper fees” as LTL firms look to digitize more aspects of their business.

Desire for “one-stop shopping” leads to the consolidation of Transport America and MCT with long-haul truckload carrier CFI to create a broader — not just bigger — trucking company.

An exemption to the US’ large employer vaccine mandate granted to outdoor workers may cover truck drivers, the American Trucking Association argues. But it’s not clear that exemption would apply to all types of truck drivers.

Truck capacity and pricing seem unlikely to shift in shippers’ favor in 2022 as a surge in pent-up demand from consumers, retailers, and manufacturers looks increasingly probable.