Transport Topics

Transport Topics (July 22, 2021)

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Senate Republicans rejected an effort Wednesday to begin debate on a big infrastructure deal that a bipartisan group of senators brokered with Preside...

Transport Topics (July 21, 2021)

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Truck tonnage in June inched up 0.5% compared with year-ago levels, a slowdown compared with recent months amid a tempering of freight activity nation...

Transport Topics (July 20, 2021)

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Senate Republicans in bipartisan talks on a $579 billion infrastructure deal are warning Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that if he goes throug...

Transport Topics (July 19, 2021)

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new Department of Transportation Inspector General audit criticized states for too often failing to transmit driver electronic conviction notificati...

Transport Topics (July 16, 2021)

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Uber Freight has expanded beyond truckload services and is now also offering shippers options for less-than-truckload, the company announced July 15. ...

Transport Topics (July 15, 2021)

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Classes 4-7 U.S. retail sales rose in June to the second-highest level of the year as they cleared 20,000 units, with all segments improving over the ...

Transport Topics (July 14, 2021)

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. retail sales of Class 8 vehicles in June topped 19,000, WardsAuto.com reported, and reached the second-highest volume this year. June improved 49...

Transport Topics (July 13, 2021)

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A strike continues at the Volvo Trucks North America plant in Dublin, Va., even though the truck maker has announced it will not engage in further neg...

Transport Topics (July 12, 2021)

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he wants his chamber to vote on pivotal budget and infrastructure legislation before lawmakers break for the...

Transport Topics (July 9, 2021)

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Despite oppressive heat hitting the western United States, trucking operations are pressing on. Montana has issued regulatory relief for truckers as p...

Transport Topics (July 8, 2021)

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Class 8 orders in June cleared 25,000 and bounced 61% higher than those placed a year earlier in the pandemic, ACT Research reported, citing truck mak...

Transport Topics (July 7, 2021)

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings has announced plans to acquire less-than-truckload specialists AAA Cooper Transportation in a deal involving two ...

Transport Topics (July 5, 2021)

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trucking and oil industry experts are warning of possible delays in fuel deliveries during the peak of the summer driving season as the pinch from the...

Transport Topics (July 2, 2021)

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Legislation that would update the country’s highway and wastewater policies was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 1, an effort b...

Transport Topics (July 1, 2021)

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced June 30 that the agency plans to award $905 million in grants through the Infrast...

Transport Topics (June 30, 2021)

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The average sales price for a used Class 8 vehicle sold in May set the all-time record, jumping ahead of April’s claim to that title, amid the trend...

Transport Topics (June 29, 2021)

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Legislation designed to update the country’s surface transportation policies is scheduled for floor consideration this week, likely Tuesday or Wedne...

Transport Topics (June 28, 2021)

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The optimism surrounding the announcement of a bipartisan infrastructure deal on Thursday was doused with a bucket of sudden uncertainty on Friday, as...

Transport Topics (June 25, 2021)

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden and a group of bipartisan lawmakers announced yesterday that they had come to an agreement on an infrastructure proposal. The deal...

Transport Topics (June 24, 2021)

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The latest in trucking and transportation news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transport Topics (June 23, 2021)

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Truck tonnage rose 3.7% in May compared with year-ago levels, and is pacing well against comparisons to the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, ...

Transport Topics (June 22, 2021)

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon announced that it has placed an order for 1,000 autonomous driving systems from Plus. The retail giant also has acquired an option to buy as mu...

Transport Topics (June 21, 2021)

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some fleet operators, especially package couriers and final-mile delivery providers, achieved significant revenue growth in 2020 amid a surge in e-com...

Transport Topics (June 18, 2021)

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rep. Peter DeFazio says he is well aware that being stuck in traffic is bad for business. For that reason, he wants to remind the country that his new...

Transport Topics (June 17, 2021)

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. retail sales in May for Classes 4-7 improved 36% compared with a year earlier, as all but the heaviest class showed strong gains, WardsAuto.com r...

Transport Topics (June 16, 2021)

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The American Transportation Research Institute released a white paper that analyzed truck driver perspectives regarding truck parking information syst...

Transport Topics (June 15, 2021)

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Department of Transportation announced that it’s seeking to require or set standards for automatic emergency braking systems on new heavy trucks...

Transport Topics (June 14, 2021)

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two of the nation’s largest third-party logistics providers have announced that they will join forces. GlobalTranz and Worldwide Express, which rank...

Transport Topics (June 11, 2021)

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

J.B. Hunt has partnered with autonomous vehicle developer Waymo to move freight with self-driving trucks in Texas. Through the limited program, Waymo’...

Transport Topics (June 10, 2021)

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

XPO Logistics has moved up the potential timeline to complete a spinoff of its logistics operations into a separate company, GXO Logistics. XPO in a J...

Transport Topics (June 9, 2021)

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt is stepping down at the end of the month, saying, “Fifteen years is long enough for any...

Transport Topics (June 8, 2021)

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The United States government announced yesterday it had recovered the majority of the ransom paid to the hackers of Colonial Pipeline. The company pai...

Transport Topics (June 7, 2021)

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Democratic members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unveiled a $547 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill on Fri...

Transport Topics (June 4, 2021)

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As leaders from Canadian National and Kansas City Southern promote their proposed multibillion-dollar merger, some of their customers are voicing conc...

Transport Topics (June 3, 2021)

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, news broke that JBS SA, the world’s largest meat producer, had fallen victim to a cyberattack that hobbled its operations. Yesterday, th...

Transport Topics (June 2, 2021)

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A little more than three weeks after the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, the meat supply chain has been targeted. A cyberattack on JBS SA, the w...

Transport Topics (May 31, 2021)

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a whopping $6 trillion budget proposal, which includes billions in provisions to boost transportation infrastru...

Transport Topics (May 28, 2021)

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The sales price for the average used Class 8 sold in April set an all-time record. It cleared $57,000, which is 50% higher than this time last year. A...

Transport Topics (May 27, 2021)

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved a five-year, $304 billion reauthorization of surface transportation program...

Transport Topics (May 26, 2021)

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A group of Senate Republicans plans to propose to the White House on Thursday an infrastructure package that will come in at nearly $1 trillion spread...

Transport Topics (May 25, 2021)

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee scheduled consideration of comprehensive highway policy legislation for tomorrow. Top Democrats and ...

Transport Topics (May 24, 2021)

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The White House has come down in price on its infrastructure proposal, reducing the cost from $2.25 trillion to $1.7 trillion, but it appears Senate R...

Transport Topics (May 21, 2021)

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. House Republicans have unveiled new legislation that would authorize $400 billion over five years for surface transportation programs. The propos...

Transport Topics (May 20, 2021)

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A contract has been awarded for emergency repair of the Interstate 40 bridge, but the span will likely remain closed for months. The bridge carries I-...

Transport Topics (May 19, 2021)

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Truck tonnage in April increased a seasonally adjusted 6.9% compared with year-ago levels, according to American Trucking Associations' For-Hire Truck...

Transport Topics (May 18, 2021)

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, President Joe Biden plans to visit a Ford site in Dearborn, Mich., that will build the carmaker’s new electric F-150 pickup truck. The F-150 ...

Transport Topics (May 17, 2021)

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian National Railway appears to be the front-runner to acquire Kansas City Southern Railroad after the KCS board of directors said CN has present...

Transport Topics (May 14, 2021)

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Louisiana House has passed a bill that would make staging an accident with a car or truck a serious crime. HR 15, which passed the House this week...

Transport Topics (May 13, 2021)

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Class 8 retail sales jumped 52.8% in April compared with a year earlier to 19,312, WardsAuto.com reported. In the 2020 period, sales were 12,637, acco...

Transport Topics (May 12, 2021)

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The adoption of legislation designed to improve connectivity across commercial corridors and ensure long-term funding for highway programs would benef...

Transport Topics (May 11, 2021)

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued an emergency declaration for carriers assisting petroleum supply chains after the sh...

Transport Topics (May 10, 2021)

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Lion Electric Co. will build a 900,000-square-foot electric-vehicle manufacturing facility in Joliet, Ill., that it says will represent the large...

Transport Topics (May 7, 2021)

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. Department of Labor said it would withdraw a federal regulation for classification of independent contractors. The rule, posted in the Federa...

Transport Topics (May 6, 2021)

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Class 8 truck orders in April hit 33,500, ACT Research reported, and the volume underscored how far the industry has rebounded from a year earlier whe...

Transport Topics ( May 5, 2021)

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

California Trucking Association will appeal a court decision on the state’s independent contractor law that many in the industry deem unfavorable, C...

Transport Topics (May 4, 2021)

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

TFI International announced it has completed its acquisition of UPS Freight for $800 million. The deal was originally announced in January. Most of th...

Transport Topics (May 3, 2021)

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Production is set to resume today at Volvo's New River Valley truck assembly plant in Dublin, Va., ending a strike that began April 19. Volvo Trucks N...

Transport Topics (April 30, 2021)

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rep. Sam Graves, the top Republican on the House Transportation Committee, is calling for a bipartisan approach to infrastructure funding. In response...

Transport Topics (April 29, 2021)

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The average used Class 8 truck in March brought the third-highest price ever. That’s the word from a new ACT Research report, which found demand rag...

Transport Topics (April 28, 2021)

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Technology giant Apple announced this week it would invest more than $400 billion over the next five years in U.S. innovation and manufacturing. As pa...

Transport Topics (April 27, 2021)

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Efforts to enhance access to parking for the nation’s truckers are alive in the House of Representatives. Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig called on the c...

Transport Topics (April 26, 2021)

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a new round of Alternative Fuel Corridor designations as part of the Biden administration’s push t...

Transport Topics (April 23, 2021)

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A group of Republican senators offered a $568 billion counter to President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion jobs package yesterday. Despite the lower tota...

Transport Topics (April 22, 2021)

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden is expected to pledge in front of 40 world leaders this week that the U.S. will halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The 50% re...

Transport Topics (April 21, 2021)

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Truck tonnage in March declined almost 10% on an annual basis, but experts say the comparison isn’t exactly apples to apples. A year ago, COVID-19 h...

Transport Topics (April 20, 2021)

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden’s top infrastructure lieutenants will appear April 20 before a Senate panel to attempt to drum up support for the administration...

Transport Topics (April 19, 2021)

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

J.B. Hunt Transport Services saw revenue and earnings increase during the first quarter due to strong segment growth. The Lowell, Ark.-based transport...

Transport Topics (April 16, 2021)

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Recruiting military veterans for maintenance jobs in truck repair shops is an oft-discussed industry goal. In practice, however, it tends to be extrem...

Transport Topics (April 15, 2021)

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden has announced the nomination of Meera Joshi to serve as the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Josh...

Transport Topics (April 14, 2021)

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Darrel Harris was named president of Yellow Corporation yesterday, just six months after joining the Overland Park, Kan., less-than-truckload carrier ...

Transport Topics (April 13, 2021)

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Class 8 truck sales in March jumped 33.7% to 22,031 as all truck makers posted gains compared with a year earlier, according to WardsAuto.com. Freight...

Transport Topics (April 12, 2021)

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

General Motors and Ford are making deeper production cuts at their North American plants due to the constricting global supply of semiconductors. GM s...

Transport Topics (April 9, 2021)

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden and his administration are working to bolster public support for their multitrillion-dollar infrastructure proposal before Congres...

Transport Topics (April 8, 2021)

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The National Transportation Safety Board’s new Most Wanted List of safety concerns contains some familiar recommendations. The current list, adopted...

Transport Topics (April 7, 2021)

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency expects vehicle downtime likely to be a factor and something to chart in its Run on Less — Electri...

Transport Topics (April 6, 2021)

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Preliminary North American Class 8 net orders in March came in at about 40,000 units, according to ACT Research. That figure is 424% higher than the C...

Transport Topics (April 5, 2021)

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For the 2021 edition of our Top 50 Logistics Companies list, we’ve decided to use a different metric — gross revenue — to rank the largest third...

Transport Topics (April 2, 2021)

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Now that President Joe Biden has announced his plan to spend $2.25 trillion on infrastructure and other priorities, he has assembled a five-person sal...

Transport Topics (April 1, 2021)

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden unveiled his administration’s ambitious public works plan yesterday, ending months of speculation about what would be included. ...

Transport Topics (March 31, 2021)

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A bill designed to facilitate access to parking for commercial vehicles recently was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Truck Parkin...

Transport Topics (March 30, 2021)

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After nearly a week of blockage, the Suez Canal has finally reopened to containership traffic. Workers yesterday successfully set free the Ever Given ...

Transport Topics (March 29, 2021)

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Truck makers say vehicle production is at risk as the demand for computer chips exceeds supply in a widening environment of supply chain disruptions. ...

Transport Topics (March 26, 2021)

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trucking companies are continuing to boost compensation packages in efforts to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic and the ongoing driver shorta...

Transport Topics (March 25, 2021)

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A giant containership has blocked up the Suez Canal this week, halting movement in one of the busiest trade routes in the world. The containership, wh...

Transport Topics (March 24, 2021)

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Severe winter weather took a toll on truck tonnage in February, according to American Trucking Associations data. The ATA For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index...

Transport Topics (March 23, 2021)

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been about a year since wide swaths of the U.S. shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The trucking industry was not among them. American...

Transport Topics (March 22, 2021)

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says President Joe Biden’s upcoming infrastructure plan will offer a once-in-a-century opportunity to remake...

Transport Topics (March 19, 2021)

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

XPO Logistics has selected GXO Logistics as the name of the stand-alone logistics company it will spin off later this year. According to XPO Logistics...

Transport Topics (March 18, 2021)

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

According to a new analysis from the American Transportation Research Institute, a national vehicle-miles-traveled fee system would prove a complicate...

Transport Topics (March 17, 2021)

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hino Trucks intends to produce model year 2022 Classes 6-8 trucks for the United States and Canada equipped exclusively with diesel engines from Cummi...

Transport Topics (March 16, 2021)

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged swift work by Congress on President Joe Biden’s upcoming jobs and infrastructure package. Pelos...

Transport Topics (March 15, 2021)

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The trucking industry is touting a victory in West Virginia, where the state Legislature has advanced a bill that provides clarity for determining whe...

Transport Topics (March 12, 2021)

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meera Joshi, new acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, says automation has “extremely real and broad impacts.” ...

Transport Topics (March 11, 2021)

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Class 8 retail sales in February came in slightly below the year-ago figure. Yesterday WardsAuto.com reported that 15,369 Class 8s were sold in t...

Transport Topics (March 10, 2021)

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A coalition of trucking groups has issued a letter urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to designate truck stops and travel plazas as...

Transport Topics (March 9, 2021)

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The House of Representatives will take up the new COVID-19 relief bill today, and it appears likely that lawmakers will clear it for President Joe Bid...

Transport Topics (March 8, 2021)

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has canceled this year’s North American Inspectors Championship, which had been scheduled to take place in Au...

Transport Topics (March 5, 2021)

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Senate Democrats are zeroing in on passing a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that will include aid for transportation corridors. Policymakers have ...

Transport Topics (March 4, 2021)

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

North American Class 8 orders reached 43,800 in February, good for an astounding 212% increase over the same month in 2020. According to ACT Research,...

Transport Topics (March 3, 2021)

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most people know Amazon as an online retail giant. But a report by DePaul University business professor Joseph Schweiterman says Amazon is fast becomi...