Transport Topics

Transport Topics (March 15, 2023)

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian and Amazon are in active discussions about ending the exclusivity provision of their delivery van deal, according...

Transport Topics (March 14, 2023)

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The national average price for diesel slipped 3.5 cents to $4.247 a gallon, according to Energy Information Administration data released March 13. Die...

Transport Topics (March 13, 2023)

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Class 8 retail sales in February jumped 35% from a year ago, and notched a slight increase from the prior month, Wards Intelligence reported. Cla...

Transport Topics (March 10, 2023)

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Class 8 truck orders rebounded in February, according to ACT Research. The orders in February hit 23,600 units, ending a month-to-month decline that s...

Transport Topics (March 9, 2023)

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trucking groups are renewing calls for the repeal of a World War I-era tax on the purchase of new trucks. American Trucking Associations, along with A...

Transport Topics (March 8, 2023)

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores founder Tom Love died yesterday at 85 years old. He grew the company from a single location to more than 600 ...

Transport Topics (March 7, 2023)

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Autonomous trucking company Embark Trucks announced March 3 it is winding down operations and is exploring a liquidation or sale. Embark said it is la...

Transport Topics (March 6, 2023)

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Daimler Truck autonomous technology subsidiary Torc Robotics has signed an agreement to acquire Canadian artificial intelligence developer Algolux Inc...

Transport Topics (March 3, 2023)

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Highway Administration has issued a final rule for minimum standards of electric vehicle chargers, but has chosen to not yet broaden the r...

Transport Topics (March 2, 2023)

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has scheduled this year’s International Roadcheck event for May 16-18, CVSA announced Feb. 28. This year’s ...

Transport Topics (March 1, 2023)

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. economy is poised for a short and shallow recession during the second half of the year, but circumstances specific to curre...

Transport Topics (Feb. 28, 2023)

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Top Republicans on the congressional transportation committees applauded updated policy guidance related to the implementation of the $1.2 trillion in...

Transport Topics (Feb. 27, 2023)

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

American Trucking Associations’ equipment showcase kicks off today and runs through March 2 in Orlando, Fla. The Technology & Maintenance Council An...

Transport Topics (Feb. 24, 2023)

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Transportation committees on Capitol Hill are planning in-depth examinations of the circumstances surrounding the derailment this month of a freight t...

Transport Topics (Feb. 23, 2023)

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee is stepping up his push for the consideration of autonomous vehicle technology legislat...

Transport Topics (Feb. 22, 2023)

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The national average price of diesel fuel continues to slide, falling 6.8 cents a gallon to settle at $4.367 a gallon, according to Energy information...

Transport Topics (Feb. 20, 2023)

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issued a few executive orders to accelerate 100% clean energy by 2035 and offer new incentives for heavy-duty electric veh...

Transport Topics (Feb. 17, 2023)

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

BP Products North America is acquiring TravelCenters of America in a $1.3 billion deal announced yesterday. The transaction, valued at $86 per share, ...

Transport Topics (Feb. 16, 2023)

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Florida lawmakers are readying a series of reforms aimed at frivolous lawsuits that target trucking companies and other small businesses in the state....

Transport Topics (Feb. 15, 2023)

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is fighting back after a federal court ruling in September put a stop to its trucks-only tolling initiat...

Transport Topics (Feb. 14, 2023)

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

January Class 8 sales were up 34.2% year-over-year. Sales hit 19,932 compared with 14,857 a year earlier. The latest sales figures came off a record h...

Transport Topics (Feb. 13, 2023)

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Xpress Enterprises says it increased revenue but earnings fell during the fourth quarter of 2022. The truckload carrier posted a net loss of $10...

Transport Topics (Feb. 10, 2023)

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The transportation sector experienced an estimated 20% jump in reported cargo thefts amid changing criminal tactics in 2022, with the largest portion ...

Transport Topics (Feb. 9, 2023)

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

North American Class 8 orders in January hit 18,400 units, which was down 13.6% from the same period last year when they were 21,300. That’s accordi...

Transport Topics (Feb. 8, 2023)

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is leaving the Biden administration to become executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, ...

Transport Topics (Feb. 7, 2023)

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden delivers his State of the Union address from the U.S. Capitol tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and is expected to champion recent progre...

Transport Topics (Feb. 6, 2023)

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Department of Transportation over the past year has undertaken a variety of actions related to guidance and rulemakings that officials say will la...

Transport Topics (Feb. 3, 2023)

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Old Dominion Freight Line capped a record-setting year with revenue and earnings increases in the fourth quarter of 2022, the company reported Feb. 1,...

Transport Topics (Feb. 2, 2023)

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

LAS VEGAS — Daimler Truck North America has unveiled its SuperTruck II high-efficiency tractor-trailer combination, featuring freight efficiency gai...

Transport Topics (Feb. 1, 2023)

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even with a stronger-than-expected 2.9% fourth-quarter increase in gross domestic product, two of the nation’s most prominent freight transportation...

Transport Topics (Jan. 31, 2023)

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Legislation that would dedicate funds to expand truckers’ access to parking nationwide was recently introduced in the House of Representatives. The ...

Transport Topics (Jan. 30, 2023)

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of America’s iconic structures is getting a big boost in federal funding. The Department of Transportation announced the Golden Gate Bridge in S...

Transport Topics (Jan. 27, 2023)

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly 41,000 truck drivers tested positive for marijuana in 2022, a 32% increase over 2021, according to a report recently compiled from data in the ...

Transport Topics (Jan. 26, 2023)

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Used Class 8 vehicle sales in December declined 2.4% from a year ago, but increased slightly from the prior month, ACT Research reported. The average ...

Transport Topics (Jan. 25, 2023)

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Truck tonnage rose 3.8 percent in 2022 compared with the prior year, posting the highest year-over-year gain in four years despite closing out with mo...

Transport Topics (Jan. 24, 2023)

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kodiak Robotics has landed a top industry executive for its role of chief operating officer. James Reed, who had been CEO at USA Truck for six years, ...

Transport Topics (Jan. 23, 2023)

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trailer maker Wabash last week announced two long-term agreements. One is with Ryerson, a value-added processor and distributor of industrial metals f...

Transport Topics (Jan. 20, 2023)

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trailer orders surged to the second-highest level in more than 25 years, ACT Research recently reported. Net orders were 57,300 compared with 26,382 a...

Transport Topics (Jan. 19, 2023)

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Medium-duty sales in December fell by 6.2% year-over-year, according to Wards Intelligence. This tops off a trend for the year; medium-duty sales post...

Transport Topics (Jan. 18, 2023)

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The National Transportation Safety Board made a series of recommendations to help lower the number of alcohol- and drug-related crashes on the nation’...

Transport Topics (Jan. 16, 2023)

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Class 8 retail sales in December reached an all-time monthly high, Wards Intelligence reported. Sales rose 18% to 29,172 compared with 24,716 a y...

Transport Topics (Jan. 13, 2023)

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The rising number of people killed and injured in automobile accidents due to driving at high speeds is unacceptable, National Transportation Safety B...

Transport Topics (Jan. 12, 2023)

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

WASHINGTON — Nearly three years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chains and international ocean carriers have seen cargo ...

Transport Topics (Jan. 11, 2023)

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Delaware’s Division of Motor Vehicles has launched an online self-certification option for commercial driver license holders to upload their Medical...

Transport Topics (Jan. 10, 2023)

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Construction will move forward to ease congestion in western Maryland and improve regional freight transportation along Interstate 81 after Gov. Larry...

Transport Topics (Jan. 9, 2023)

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Preliminary North American Class 8 orders in December were 30,300, marking the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year gains, ACT Research reported...

Transport Topics (Jan. 6, 2023)

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Highway Administration announced $2.1 billion in first-round grants to repair economically significant bridges. The Large Bridge Grants we...

Transport Topics (Jan. 5, 2023)

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Biden administration Cabinet secretaries Pete Buttigieg and Jennifer Granholm are headlining this year’s annual meeting of the Transportation Resear...

Transport Topics (Jan. 4, 2023)

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

C.H. Robinson CEO Bob Biesterfeld stepped down from his role, effective Dec. 31. He also held the title of president and was on the logistics company’...

Transport Topics (Dec. 30, 2022)

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the calendar flips to 2023, what’s ahead for driver recruitment, shipping rates and congressional action? Transport Topics takes a look in our Ye...

Transport Topics (Dec. 29, 2022)

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The federal spending budget for fiscal 2023 includes an increase in funding for the Department of Transportation that is higher than the level request...

Transport Topics (Dec. 23, 2022)

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dec. 17 marked Wreaths Across America Day, when volunteers lay wreaths on veterans’ graves at Arlington National Cemetery and at more than 3,700 oth...

Transport Topics (Dec. 22, 2022)

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 20 announced more stringent clear-air standards for heavy trucks that the agency said are 8...

Transport Topics (Dec. 21, 2022)

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Truck tonnage inched up year-over-year in November, but for the second consecutive time declined on a month-to-month basis amid a tepid seasonal envir...

Transport Topics (Dec. 20, 2022)

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trailer maker Great Dane announced its longtime CEO, Bill Crown, is stepping down Jan. 1. He will be replaced by company President Dean Engelage as pa...

Transport Topics (Dec. 19, 2022)

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trailer orders in November hit the second-highest mark this year, ACT Research reported. They were at 39,000 compared with 32,103 in November 2021. Th...

Transport Topics (Dec. 16, 2022)

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trimble announced it has agreed to acquire Transporeon, a cloud-based transportation management software platform focused on connected supply chain in...

Transport Topics (Dec. 15, 2022)

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency said fuel efficiency in Class 8 trucks participating in its annual fleet study from 2018 to 2020 rem...

Transport Topics (Dec. 14, 2022)

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Class 8 U.S. retail sales in November were the second-highest this year and continued the trend since May of monthly gains compared with a year earlie...

Transport Topics (Dec. 13, 2022)

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After two years of virtual competition due to the COVID pandemic, Rush Enterprises kicked off an in-person Tech Skills Rodeo competition again over th...

Transport Topics (Dec. 12, 2022)

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $6 million to reimburse eligible employers to help remove obstacles for new truck drivers who want an entry-level com...

Transport Topics (Dec. 9, 2022)

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Harassment and assaults against truck drivers are widespread, particularly among women and minority male drivers, according to a new study and survey ...

Transport Topics (Dec. 8, 2022)

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A labor agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association may not be reached until the first quar...

Transport Topics (Dec. 7, 2022)

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trucking technology company TuSimple and truck maker Navistar have agreed to end their co-development of autonomous trucks. The companies created the ...

Transport Topics (Dec. 6, 2022)

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The average price of a gallon of diesel fell 17.4 cents to $4.967, according to Energy Information Administration data released Dec. 5. While the pri...

Transport Topics (Dec. 5, 2022)

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tesla late Thursday handed over the first batch of its long-awaited Semi trucks to PepsiCo, kicking off customer deliveries for the vehicle originally...

Transport Topics (Dec. 2, 2022)

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Moving quickly to help avert a rail workers strike that would have cost the national economy an estimated $2 billion per day, the U.S. Senate on Dec. ...

Transport Topics (Dec. 1, 2022)

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The House of Representatives on Nov. 30 passed a bill outlining a labor agreement between freight rail carriers and workers to avert a strike projecte...

Transport Topics (Nov. 30, 2022)

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by a voice vote advanced to the floor of the chamber Shailen Bhatt’s nomination for the top role a...

[Air:2022.11.29] Transport Topics (Nov. 29, 2022)

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Preparations are well underway for the annual Wreaths Across America event, which will be held Dec. 17. An estimated 2.5 million wreaths will be deliv...

Transport Topics (Nov. 24, 2022)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The state of Ohio is nearing completion on a project that by next spring will allow truckers and passenger vehicles to travel the length of its 241-mi...

Transport Topics (Nov. 23, 2022)

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Truck tonnage in October increased compared with year-ago levels but declined on a month-to-month basis, a sign that the freight market is reacting to...

Transport Topics (Nov. 22, 2022)

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The chances of a rail strike beginning as early as Dec. 9 were advanced when one of the largest unions involved in the negotiations turned down the te...

Transport Topics (Nov. 21, 2022)

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This holiday shipping season is expected to be marked by fewer delays and disruptions compared with the past two years, thanks to early freight moveme...

Transport Topics (Nov. 18, 2022)

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Federal regulators have proposed a new climate-reporting rule that would require large federal contractors to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas e...

Transport Topics (Nov. 17, 2022)

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Senior Democrats are focusing on reducing highway fatalities, backed by provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Sens. Ed Markey of M...

Transport Topics (Nov. 16, 2022)

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Commercial motor vehicle inspectors in North America conducted 38,117 inspections Aug. 21-27 during Brake Safety Week, placing 13.3% of vehicles out o...

Transport Topics (Nov. 15, 2022)

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Classes 4-7 U.S. retail sales in October were off 5% from a year earlier, thanks only to strength in Class 6 as the other classes fell, Wards Intellig...

Transport Topics (Nov. 11, 2022)

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. Class 8 retail sales in October improved 34.5% compared with a year earlier, Wards Intelligence reported as all but one truck maker showed improv...

Transport Topics (Nov. 10, 2022)

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The retail holiday season is expected to be solid as economists and other experts say sales should increase between 6% and 8% over 2021’s record 14%...

Transport Topics (Nov. 9, 2022)

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

To address a shortage of spaces, Ohio is converting more than a dozen weigh stations into truck parking lots and modernizing rest areas. “We know th...

Transport Topics (Nov. 8, 2022)

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead up to this year’s midterms, President Joe Biden has traveled the country to remind constituents of the Infrastructure Investment and Job...

Transport Topics (Nov. 7, 2022)

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Drew Wilkerson,CEO of newly launched RXO, says the brokerage business will emphasize technology advances to gain market share. Wilkerson made the comm...

Transport Topics (Nov. 4, 2022)

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has filed an appeal challenging a district federal court judge’s ruling declaring unconstitutional the...

Transport Topics (Nov. 3, 2022)

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve pumped up its benchmark interest rate Nov. 2 by three-quarters of a point for a fourth straight time, but hinted that it could soo...

Transport Topics (Nov. 2, 2022)

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

XPO Logistics Inc. turned its tech-enabled brokered transportation platform into an independent, publicly traded company Nov. 1. The new company, name...

Transport Topics (Nov. 1, 2022)

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Eyes are back on the rail industry, as a number of groups in the transportation sector last week signed onto a letter urging the White House to contin...

Transport Topics (Oct. 31, 2022)

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

No tricks here on Halloween, just treats for Universal Logistics, which on Friday reported all-time records for total operating income and earnings pe...

Transport Topics (Oct. 28, 2022)

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Justice Department is probing potentially misleading statements by electric car maker Tesla and its executives about the automobiles’ autonomous...

Transport Topics (Oct. 27, 2022)

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Port of Philadelphia will have less truck congestion and more capacity thanks to a $20.3 million federal infrastructure grant award. “We receive...

Transport Topics (Oct. 26, 2022)

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SAN DIEGO — American Trucking Associations revealed Oct. 25 that it estimates the shortfall of professional drivers has decreased slightly to 78,000...

Transport Topics (Oct. 25, 2022)

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SAN DIEGO — American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear highlighted a string of victories the federation achieved in the past year during h...

Transport Topics (Oct. 24, 2022)

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition is in full swing in San Diego. ATA President Chris Spear delivers his state of th...

Transport Topics (Oct. 21, 2022)

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

U.S. trailer orders in September just cleared 25,000 and, while down about 10% compared with a year earlier, were the highest since the first quarter,...

Transport Topics (Oct. 20, 2022)

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The fourth-largest for-hire carrier in North America reported positive third quarter earnings Tuesday. J.B. Hunt beat Wall Street analysts’ expectat...

[Air:2022.10.19] Transport Topics (Oct. 19, 2022)

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

September truck tonnage increased 5.5% year-over-year, and is up just slightly from August, according to the latest numbers released yesterday by Amer...

Transport Topics (Oct. 18, 2022)

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Three additional participants in staged accidents with trucks in the New Orleans area have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud charges, ...

Transport Topics (Oct. 17, 2022)

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Retail sales of Class 8 trucks remained strong in September, checking in at 22,971, according to Ward’s Intelligence. That’s slightly below August...

Transport Topics (Oct. 14, 2022)

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The trucking industry’s push to recruit drivers is as strong as ever despite signs freight demand may be softening. Supply chain talent has been in ...

Transport Topics (Oct. 13, 2022)

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bison Transport has acquired Hermon, Maine-based truckload carrier Pottle’s Transportation, it was announced Oct. 12. The transaction will be effect...