Newsletters

FreightWaves’ Top 500 Largest For-Hire Carriers list FreightWaves just released the inaugural Top 500 list of the largest for-hire trucking fleets in the U.S. The ranking is based on tractor count and provides information on fleet size regardless of segment. For example, there is not a distinction between flatbed, LTL or dry van carriers; instead, […]

The benefits of pets in the cab, port woes in the U.S. and China, and no usual post-holiday dip in volumes.

Driver recruiting challenges, pay and demographics trends Driver recruiting remains a key challenge heading into 2022 due to pandemic, demographic and economic trends. Pay and wages remain a central theme in both driver recruitment and retention, with carriers raising base driver pay multiple times in 2021 to keep up with demand. These pay raises are […]

Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter focusing on autonomous, connected and electric innovations in the trucking ecosystem for fleets.

Cybersecurity and large fleets: Risks of cyberattacks on the rise Cybersecurity is becoming a major topic in trucking due to recent publicized ransomware attacks against motor carriers. Ransomware is a type of malware, with users locked out of their systems or files and data held hostage unless the company or user pays a fee to […]

Carrier relationships and networks are the keys to success in 2022, Port of Oakland looking for business, and retailers are into buying logistics companies.

2021 — This year had several highs and lows with mixed results in almost every industry. The most reported news centered on the supply chain and it has been fraught with challenges. The interruptions from port to dock have consumed media outlets. Normally supply chain was an industry topic and rarely covered by worldwide media. We’ve […]

What is exciting for 2022, autonomous trucks make a big jump, Amazon shopping addicts by state, and FMCSA is hiring … again.

Struggling for capacity: A briefing on fleet availability The holiday season in trucking traditionally sees lower driver activity due to the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The driver’s home time and geographic location pose a unique challenge to carriers, as larger fleets have drivers domiciled in locations that may be far from their primary high-volume […]

What is exciting for 2022, autonomous trucks make a big jump, Amazon shopping addicts by state, and FMCSA is hiring … again.

Trucking trends of 2021: Buying growth, expanding capabilities It’s the end of the year and for the trucking industry, disruption, record profits and new opportunities are all major themes to consider when predicting trends to watch in 2022. The trucking expansions into the LTL space and final mile and acquisitions of regional carriers indicate strategic […]

Omicron sweeps across the nation — 73% of United States COVID-19 cases. Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., federal health officials said Monday. Coronavirus is disrupting the Christmas holiday — As people start to travel for the holidays, doctors warn the surge in Covid-19 cases could continue thanks […]

Capacity crunch: Competition for carriers brings rising costs, new opportunities Continued freight demand and limited truckload supply are allowing trucking companies to be selective with which loads to take, causing greater competition among shippers. Customer characteristics are playing a key role in contract and spot rate negotiations with carriers reevaluating their customer mix based on […]

The efforts it takes to ship the great Rockefeller Center Christmas tree; rail is the new hotness in shipping; and why we buy so many presents at Christmas.

Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter focusing on autonomous, connected and electric innovations in the trucking ecosystem for fleets.

In today’s newsletter: Enterprise carriers race to innovate; Component shortage delays electric vehicles; ATRI top truck bottlenecks of 2021. Enterprise carriers race to innovate by embracing new technologies and partnerships Trucking companies are racing to catch up to the technological disruption brought by digital load boards and freight tech offerings. For large enterprise carriers, there […]

Wreaths Across America kicks off, helping newly unemployed truckers land on solid ground, and the fastest way to import goods to the U.S. from China.

TLDR: In which the author’s heart is broken and put back together again over sustainable fuels. Or, the bull case for renewable natural gas (RNG) in transportation. Low carbon fuels: A love story Last week, RNG producer Opal Fuels LLC merged with the SPAC ArcLight Clean Transition Corp. II at a valuation of roughly $2 […]

Value statements, or Value propositions Each have different definitions and objectives, but they are relatively the same within various industries. And then there’s the health care supply chain. What’s the value proposition? Pinpointing the priorities: Supply chain in health care has many competing value statements within any given organization. The elasticity and influence of the […]

TLDR: United: Sustainable AF. Sustainable jet fuel is having a moment. But why? And what exactly is SAF again? This week, United Airlines operated the first-ever passenger flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The Boeing 737-900 flew over 100 passengers from Chicago to Washington, D.C., running exclusively on alternative fuel. While regulations prohibit planes […]

Central Freight Lines shuts down, U.S. Xpress fires truckload exec and ACT releases driver hiring data Central Freight Lines to shut down after 96 years Central Freight Lines to shut down after 96 years Central Freight Lines is shutting down after 96 years in operation. The LTL carrier based in Waco, Texas, has over 2,100 […]

A look at the end of Central Freight Lines, the port congestion blame game between drivers and officials, and investments no one asked for.

Instead of discussing the current CPG news and freight data per my usual, for today’s newsletter I highlight the CPG industry trends I expect to see in 2022.  Trend No. 1: Consumer behavior will change in response to rising prices, at least among lower-income consumers. The topic of the hour is inflation, which hit a […]

Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter focusing on autonomous, connected and electric innovations in the trucking ecosystem for fleets.

Investing In Data Management The world of supply chain management in health care is evolving extremely fast, as COVID-19 (see graph) has been a significant influencer of technology development. However, like COVID, the state of some organizations’ data was a shock; many were unprepared for the future and the cost associated with modernizing. It is estimated […]

New vaccination requirements are coming for cross-border drivers, cargo thieves strike again and again, and Amazon takes on UPS and FedEx.

In this issue: AI Fleet raises $21 million; the American Transportation Research Institute ranks trucking concerns; and the Logistics Managers’ Index is expanded. Trucking in disruption: AI Fleet raises $21 million series A Trucking tech startup AI Fleet recently completed a series A round for $21 million led by Obvious Ventures with participation from Compound, […]

Humanitarian Heroes Medical Bridges’ vision: (Photo: Walter Ulrich/MedicalBridges) “A world in which every person enjoys accessto quality health care with dignity and respect.” Non-Governmental Organization on a Mission Medical Bridges is one of hundreds of humanitarian aid organizations being impacted by the current global supply chain and competing for space along with all the other […]

Hello, retail supply chain nerds. Happy Tuesday! Just wanted to remind everyone that we will not have a new episode of Point of Sale this week. INSTEAD, we have a dynamic webinar with our sponsor, ArcBest, on Wednesday so you can ask them all of your retail-related questions as they share their outlook on logistics […]

Customers reach expiration dates, Amazon is trialing home deliveries in the U.K., 96 ships in San Pedro Bay.

Stephens investment conference trucking equipment highlights Supply chain challenges were the main focus at the Stephens annual investment conference earlier this month in Nashville, Tennessee. Executives said driver recruiting and broader supply chain bottlenecks were slightly easing, but purchasing and procuring equipment has gotten notably tougher.  Lack of trailers becoming new driver shortage: Derek Leathers, […]

Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter offering perspective and context on electrification and autonomous technologies for fleets and the trucking ecosystem.

Before getting into CPG news, here are two near-term events for your calendar:  On Friday, The Stockout show is focused on the railroad industry and features a true industry expert (not referring to myself). I will be interviewing Tony Hatch, an independent railroad consultant and longtime senior transportation analyst on Wall Street. He is fresh […]

ATRI research on truck driver motivations and satisfaction The American Transportation Research Institute released results on its analysis on what motivates truck drivers to become company drivers or owner-operators/independent contractors (OO/IC). The data came from over 2,000 drivers, two-thirds of whom are OO/IC, and includes additional analysis on compensation models and driver satisfaction. Quick rundown […]

Atypical ways to help employees feel supported and invested in by the company, Walmart’s new container plan, and quarterly analysis of 3PLs.

Consider the cost of hiring new people, and the value of not just throwing bodies at the problem. Plus, new cross-border regulations and a brief Hanukkah history.

J.B. Hunt transload service starts as shippers deal with intermodal and port congestion J.B. Hunt Transport Services has started a transload service in the New York metro area. In a press release, the offering is touted as “a one-stop source for quickly transferring ocean freight into equipment for domestic transport.” The facility, located in Jersey […]

J.M. Smucker Co.’s results highlight margin pressure even as CPG companies raise prices and continue to post strong sales. Overall, Smucker reported strong results as its earnings easily beat analysts’ expectations, mainly on better-than-expected sales in segments such as coffee, pet food and Uncrustables. The company’s results give a glimpse into the continued margin pressure […]

House Transportation Committee hearing on truck driver shortages In remarks to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, MIT Professor David Correll recently outlined yearslong research conducted by the MIT Freightlab, detailing a chronic underutilization of the American truck driver.  Below are some highlights and reporting from the event. Interestingly there was additional research regarding […]

A brief look at what goes into getting turkeys on the tables in time for Thanksgiving; the newest freight alley in Texas; changes at the Port of Virginia; and a national holiday history.

Before getting into what’s happening in CPG supply chains, here’s something for your calendar: I host the next quarterly The Stockout webinar on Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. ET. Here’s the link to register. Last quarter, there was a great turnout, and the discussion was enhanced by the many participants who asked thoughtful and pertinent […]

Before getting into what’s happening in CPG supply chains, here’s something for your calendar: I host the next quarterly The Stockout webinar on Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. ET. Here’s the link to register. Last quarter, there was a great turnout, and the discussion was enhanced by the many participants who asked thoughtful and pertinent […]

TLDR: Unpacking climate provisions in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and uncovering who will be using the planned 500,000 chargers nationwide. $1.2 trillion IIJA lotta money It’s understandable if many of you are bullish carbon nerds like myself and spent the past two weeks with eyes peeled for updates from climate negotiations at COP26 in […]

Convoy’s #NoEmptyMiles campaign hits new heights; the importance of verifying equipment type; a halt to the impending fees at LA and Long Beach ports; and one more acquisition.

Private trucking fleets expand amid soaring spot rates According to a recent National Private Truck Council Report, private fleets continue to expand due to high spot market rates and dwindling capacity in the market. Less capacity equals less service, and service metrics remain a big driver for in-house transportation. For large common carriers (they haul […]

Oatly (Swedish oat milk company) shares continue to struggle. Oatly’s American depository receipts declined 21% Monday and closed at $9.36, down 45% from the $17 IPO price. Investors’ primary concern centered around a slowing revenue growth rate; the company now expects revenue this year to be “more than $635 million,” which is 8% below the […]

Onboarding accounts should be a bigger thing than it is; airports used as container storage yards; airfreight is now an affordable option; and a few more quarterly earnings dissected.

F3 Virtual Experience trucking roundup Last week FreightWaves hosted the F3 Virtual Experience, which involved industry leaders discussing topics related to the future of freight, key factors impacting markets, industry trends and venture capital investments. Key topics included autonomous and electric vehicles, FreightTech and a demonstration of the new SONAR feature, the Trusted Rate Assessment […]

TLDR: Summary of this week’s Transport Day announcements from the U.N. Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland (shipping, aviation and ZEVs, oh my!), and a nice, long list of all the acronyms in this article: COP. NDCs. GHG. LNG. CO2. WMBC. COP again. WEF. SAF. FAA. ICAO. ZEV. BNEF. USDA. NZC (probably the most important of the […]

Truck Talk brings perspective, context and commentary to the trucking industry ecosystem.

Beyond Meat sell-off further ignites debate about demand for plant-based protein. From my perspective, Beyond Meat’s earnings and the fallout have been the most interesting CPG-related news this week. The recent returns for shareholders have been ugly — down 20% in the past week and down 35% year-to-date. Since the company had already preannounced its […]

Infrastructure bill and trucking impact On Nov. 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) by a 228-206 vote after passage by the Senate on Aug. 10. In a report published by Georgetown University, trucking jobs are estimated to account for 20% of the infrastructure plan, with […]

SONAR launches TRAC, approaching some policy-bending issues and airfreight earnings.

TreeHouse Foods, a major manufacturer of private-label food products, announced that its board is exploring strategic alternatives. Potential strategic actions include a possible sale of the company or the divestment of a significant portion of its less-profitable meal prep business in order to focus on its higher-growth snacking and beverages business. This announcement Monday came […]

FMCSA new authority approval at record high from spot rates and tight capacity  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is setting records. New motor carrier authority approvals are at an all-time high — around 10,000 each month. As of September, around 82,000 approvals for authority had been granted in 2021, compared with 59,500 for the […]

Continuous moves might be way underutilized; oil prices aren’t helping on the spot rate market; and the Santa 18 Act could do a lot for youths interested in trucking.

TLDR: A big international climate treaty meeting in Scotland (blah, blah, blah), 72 recipients of the latest EPA Green Freight awards, and the difficult task of choosing between steak and ice cream. COP26Climate pundits, activists, and investors all around the world have watched this week as climate negotiations kicked off in Glasgow, Scotland at COP26. Thousands […]

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter offering perspective, context and insight into issues in the commercial truck ecosystem.

Kellogg Co. manages to reaffirm earnings guidance despite both industrywide and company-specific challenges. I find it impressive that the company was able to retain its guidance for both operating profit and earnings despite the acceleration in inflation during the third quarter and the ongoing strike in its flagship North American cereal business. Although, some would […]

Motor Carrier Act of 1980, OTR driver shortage, consumer confidence falls

Forecasting is great, till it isn’t, drivers are not at fault for West Coast port congestion, and Houston didn’t get the homecoming celebration it was hoping for in the World Series.

Dedicated trucking becomes more committed, truck parking capacity crunch, consumer spending sky high

The importance of developing metrics that matter; Daimler Trucks cancels production of Western Star 5700 XE; UPS takes yet another increase; and a recap of earnings season.

Vertical farming promises to be one of the most impactful trends to food in the coming years. In fact, it was listed as the No. 1 trend in Whole Foods’ list of top food trends in 2022. I am also excited about the potential for growth in vertical farming, and I made that the topic […]

Truck Talk is a FreightWaves’ newsletter covering the trucking ecosystem with perspective and context.

Teenagers are able to try their hands at truck driving as a high school elective class; the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are imposing fines for long dwell times; and Salt Lake City’s capacity woes.

The future of Amazon Freight, vaping struggles to get product to market, and Descartes MacroPoint and FreightWaves SONAR Lane Score partnership.

Amazon Freight positioned to sneak its way into the brokerage world, Flock Freight’s unicorn status achievements, and how much is sitting off the coast of LA and Long Beach?

Flatbed’s much-needed technology face-lift, Chatbots and email bots as customer service tools, and harvest season wrap-ups.

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter offering perspective and context on happenings in the trucking ecosystem.

Collaboraion is the future of 3pls, U.S. waterways widely under utilized, Seroka wants retailers to come pick up their shipments.

Mexico’s new waybill information, St Christopher Trucker Fund, and more Laredo growth.

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter that brings perspective and context to happenings in the commercial trucking ecosystem.

Check Call looks at shared truckload and the future of cost savings for shippers, Gene Seroka and the LA port congestion, and FMSCA’s new regulation for drivers.

Digital freight matching and what options exist, avocado toast for all, and Laredo’s port growth.

Marken will add global locations as clinical trials activity ramps up.

Truck Talk is a weekly FreightWaves newsletter providing perspec on autonomous, electrification and other key issues in the trucking ecosystem.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the federal government’s lack of visibility into the health care supply chain. Over the last 18 months, several government agencies have been developing systems to better monitor medical supplies before the next pandemic arrives.

Freight Tech has a glow up moment, the future of electric vehicles, and long tender lead times in Georgia.

FreightTech got its glow up this month. Automation is king and low emissions are the way of the future.

The U.S. has enough of COVID-19 vaccines to run a booster campaign, but staffing clinics, predicting demand and managing the proper inventory could still be a challenge.

California’s AB5 law and it’s impact on owner-operators. E-commerce warehouse solutions, and when will used truck prices decrease.

In addition to vaccines, the federal government hopes to use frequent testing as a tool to allow people to return to work, school and other daily activities. It’s already spending billions on tests.

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter providing perspective and context on the week’s happenings in the trucking industry.

Holiday shipping woes, California supply chain interruptions, and a solution to your final mile deliveries.

Demand for COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. has fallen substantially since a peak in early May. Now, boosters for older patients and a forthcoming requirement that large employers vaccinate or test workers could cause demand to rebound.

A brand new newsletter for 3PLs and freight brokers. Hurricane Ida cleanup, Harvest season struggles, and all the mergers for the week.

Hospitals are pushing medical manufacturers, distributors and other suppliers to adopt more aggressive environmental goals. But it can be difficult to track down information about sustainability of medical products.

The White House’s recent COVID-19 plan calls on employers and schools to implement frequent testing, which could increase demand. Test manufacturers are speeding up production, but many questions remain.

Truck Talk is a FreightWaves weekly newsletter focusing on electrification and autonomy developments in trucking with perspective and context.

It will take assassins accuracy, but Amazon has all the data to make aiming an afterthought.

Google previously prevented marketing of N95 respirators on its shopping platform due to shortages. Mask makers complained that policy didn’t line up with health guidance and curtailed sales. Now the tech giant has reversed course.

A White House plan to counter future pandemics includes billions of dollars for efforts to speed up production and distribution of new vaccines, diagnostic tests and PPE. The White House is also dedicating $3 billion to speed up production of COVID-19 vaccines.

Truck Talk is a newsletter that applies perspective and context to electrification, autonomy and the future of freight transportation.

It’s times like these that it’s more fun to write about transportation issues than to actually have to move freight (not that I’ve ever actually moved freight). On Wednesday, topics at the FreightWaves Intermodal Summit included port congestion, rail ramp congestion, the chassis shortage, the drayage capacity shortage, the international and domestic container shortage, and […]

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter providing perspective on advancements in the trucking industry from electrification to autonomy.

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter offering perspective and context on happenings in the trucking industry.

Health care utilization had mostly recovered to normal levels by June. As COVID-19 cases rise, it’s hard for health care companies to predict demand for elective procedures, PPE and COVID-19 testing for the rest of 2021.

E-commerce tools have made retail shopping extremely convenient. Now, companies want to bring that convenience to the health care supply chain. Health care’s complex and highly regulated environment may make that difficult.

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter adding perspective and context to trucking industry news.