Truckload Indexes

As I wrote last week, the driver is the thermostat to trucking capacity. In my work, I have the greatest opportunity to meet and facilitate driver advisory boards. These driver advisory boards are made up of professional drivers and independent contractors that have open discussions with carrier management on how they can both make the company, the lifestyle, and their chosen career better. It’s a refreshing engagement with the folks that just plain get it done every day.

The bill would reinforce in federal law the “ABC test” to determine whether an individual is an employee rather than an independent contractor, similar to California’s AB5 law that is currently being challenged in the courts.

A trucking company recently asked a federal court in Arkansas to reconsider its decision certifying a class of drivers based on allegations that time spent in a sleeper birth should be counted as hours worked under the FLSA, due to a newly released Department of Labor (“DOL”) Opinion Letter.

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) will bring an opportunity for education and networking to for-hire carriers, private fleets, associates and driver-training school members, as well as prospects, next month.

Truckload carrier heads talk demand, rates and capacity at investor conference.

Warmer weather here I come……!! As I prepare to attend the TCA’s Annual Convention — Truckload 2020: Orlando — I reflect on the many years of education that I absorbed by being a sponge from my peers. I want to say thank you!!

Many indicators are pointing to a better 2020 than 2019 for the freight industry, but several challenges remain, including impacts from the coronavirus.

As I see it, it looks like we are going into one of those new “roller coaster” trucking capacity situations for the transportation and shipping community to manage through.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a federal agency that administers the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) by overseeing and managing relationships between unions and private-sector employers. Between December 16–19, 2019, the NLRB issued a trio of rulings that reversed prior union/employee-friendly decisions

On January 28, TCA staffers attended the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “100 Pledges in 100 Days” event, which focused on combating human trafficking in the transportation sector.

John Lyboldt is President of the Truckload Carriers Association, the only trade association focused entirely on the truckload segment of the motor carrier industry.

I’m amazed on the number of attorneys now flooding the airways with the same message; if you’ve been wronged, we can help, we know how to fight the insurance companies, we will get more money than insurance company will offer.

Funding likely to remain elusive for proposal that focuses on zero-carbon initiatives.

It’s the same story for carriers and shippers: up like a rocket and down like a feather

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Stafford Albertson, a professional truck driver with Network Transport, a Highway Angel, for helping at the scene of a serious accident involving a van and two trucks.

When the average claim in 2012 was approximately $2M, and that average claim in 2019 is approaching $17M and going higher.

For years I’ve heard from drivers, staff & management about what’s right & what’s wrong with orientation for new drivers. It’s a Tricky Slope that takes precision & consistency every week of the year. After all, we’re dealing with people & they all want different things. Or do they?

Trucking insurance continues to get more expensive. Chris Henry and Daniel Pickett provide information about captive insurance agencies.

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Warren Brownlee, a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, Inc., a Highway Angel, for stopping to assist young motorists who lost control of their vehicle on a busy highway.

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Charles Vos, a professional truck driver with Bison Transport, a Highway Angel, for helping free an unconscious truck driver from his burning truck.

This weekly opinion will give me the ability to relate my views on current events. Those views will be based from my personal experience over the past 40 years serving the Trucking Business.

In the recent ruling in Calif, Judge Roger Benitez wrote, “There is little question that the State of California has encroached on Congress’ territory by eliminating motor carriers’ choice to use independent contractor drivers, a choice at the very heart of interstate trucking.

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Charles Jasewicz, a professional truck driver with H.O. Wolding, a Highway Angel, for stopping to help a motorist who was ejected during a vehicle rollover and then pinned under his vehicle.

First survey since 2003 will help inform autonomous vehicle development.

Each year, the Driver of the Year Contests recognize company and owner operator professional truck drivers who provide safe and reliable transportation of North America’s goods.

Employers allowed to continue driver hires while agency corrects connection issues.

Outlook for future improvement to earnings is still hazy as Morgan Stanley analyst lowers fourth-quarter estimates for most transportation companies.

Most big rigs in the U.S. have tanks that range in capacity from 120 gallons per tank up to 150 gallons and depending on the radius of operation, may have one tank for shorter hauls or two tanks for longer ones.

By R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers nine States including California, recently affirmed a decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which found that prohibitions on secondary boycotts under Section 8(b)(4)(i)(B) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) do not violate the […]

High-profile accident leads to database aimed at keeping drug users off the road.

New group will be the first of it’s kind in transportation The TCA Profitability Program (TPP), an exclusive business performance improvement initiative provided by the Truckload Carriers Association, is pleased to announce the formation of the TPP Data Analytics Group. This unique group will be sponsored by McLeod Software, and meetings will be held semi-annually […]

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner As 2019 comes to a close and 2020 kicks into gear, now is a good time to prepare for the potential regulatory and legislative action that the trucking industry will see in the new year. We can expect big […]

On the evening of Friday, December 13, TCA Chairman and Trekker CEO Josh Kaburick and Pilot Flying J’s Wendy Hamilton, recognized nearly 100 professional truck drivers during the 2019 Wreaths Across America (WAA) Washington DC Area Wreath Reception and Dinner. The event was held prior to Saturday’s wreath-laying in Arlington National Cemetery. Nearly 900 people […]

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner In just a few short weeks, our industry will be graced with one of the biggest safety advancements in recent memory. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse goes live on January 6, providing an online […]

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel Employers may be well aware of the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in situations where an employee or applicant is “disabled” as that term is defined under the ADA. What about a situation in which an employer purportedly discriminates against an applicant because the employer believes […]

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has announced The Wall That Heals national tour schedule for 2020. The Wall That Heals exhibit includes a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center. The 25th season of The Wall That Heals will begin on February 20, 2020 in Marco Island, Florida and […]

Tepid volumes with an upside breakout in tender rejections

E-commerce’s role in transforming supply chain logistics should be a factor that Congress considers during the next surface transportation bill authorization.

by FreightWaves’ Linda Baker A limited supply of Christmas trees in Oregon, the country’s No. 1 producer, continues to drive up wholesale and retail costs. The pricetag for Noble Firs doubled compared to five years ago. In the past two years, prices have risen 15% annually. “Supply is definitely tight, said Greg Smith, owner of Molalla […]

Preliminary orders for new Class 8 trucks tumbled again in November after one month of improved bookings, new evidence that a slowing manufacturing economy is sapping all but critical replacement demand.

TCA and our for-hire carrier members have repeatedly affirmed our support for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) electronic logging device (ELD) mandate. Unfortunately, others in the trucking industry continue to seek exemptions to avoid complying with the rule.  The most recent example of this comes from the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC). […]

The Truckload Carriers Association’s Truckload Academy has unveiled the next generation of its Fleet Manager Certificate Program. Produced in partnership with CarriersEdge, the new program includes updated content and a new subscription model that allows unlimited participants in a company to complete the program for a fixed monthly fee. Incorporating feedback from participants completing the […]

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel We have previously discussed the Boeing decision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In that decision, the NLRB changed its approach to determining whether an employer’s workplace rule violates the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  Before Boeing, an employer’s workplace rule would be struck down if it “could […]

Every day, more than 40% of all truck drivers on the road use an hour or more of productive driving time to search for a secure parking spot before their hours of service run out.

by John Kingston, FreightWaves The data is in and it shows pretty clearly what everybody has assumed: In the Southeast at least, the size of the verdicts against trucking companies are on the rise. Data compiled by a company called CaseMetrix is stark in showing how the jury verdicts against trucking companies have gone up over the […]

6-year program includes addressing shortage of truck drivers.

The Truckload Carriers Association, in conjunction with the TCA Profitability Program (TPP), offers a new, virtual, interactive learning experience available to all professionals in the trucking industry. The Truckload Live Distance Learning model offers a fresh perspective, one which includes facilitation from instructional design experts and a collaborative online classroom. Participants will engage in insightful […]

Operation Victory credits military service time as full or partial truck driving experience.

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel In a recent Legal Comment article, we discussed how the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) went back to following a rule established by the United States Supreme Court, holding that an employer can bar any nonemployee from soliciting its employees, including union organizers, so long as they bar all […]

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner On October 21, the public comment period closed for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on hours of service (HOS). More than 2,700 comments were submitted to the Agency, with arguments both in […]

The restructuring is keeping 2,500 jobs in place.

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves Lincoln’s Logs is brought to you by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff Hello and welcome to another edition of Lincoln’s Logs, where I point out some of my favorite datasets in SONAR that can empower you to make actionable decisions to help keep your trucks rolling and increase revenues.  Happy Halloween everyone! Today is […]

by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff Hello and welcome to another edition of Lincoln’s Logs, where I point out some of my favorite datasets in SONAR that can empower you to make actionable decisions to help keep your trucks rolling and increase revenues.  Today I’m back in Chattanooga after another week on the road. Last week I […]

The transportation industry is in a constant state of flux, experiencing market changes influenced by everything from macroeconomic conditions to hurricane season. Understanding data, learning to benchmark and knowing how to take advantage of any market can help carriers stay profitable during downswings. TCA Profitability Program’s first annual Truckload Live Summit is designed to help […]

Reefer volumes have declined in 2019 as shippers have taken advantage of cheap van rates, but declining production and trade wars have hurt the cause as well.

by Ray Haight, TPP Retention Coach The issue of driver turnover has plagued the industry for decades and, it seems to me, that trucking companies should have made better progress in bringing it under control. The fact is that many trucking companies see the published numbers on driver turnover coming from industry groups, and as […]

Drive My Way CEO also advises attendees at the Women In Trucking conference to use woman-to-woman messaging.

Review prompted by lax processing of driver convictions.

Hyundai Motor Co. is expanding its fuel cell ambitions to heavy-duty trucks and trailers with a pair of concepts for next week’s North American Commercial Vehicle show in Atlanta.

Trailer orders in September were the highest since February, suggesting another strong year of production in 2020.

Swedish truck maker AB Volvo reported higher third-quarter profits and sales on Friday, October 18. But it warned that orders for new trucks in North America and Europe continue to decline and a strike at its Mack Trucks unit could pinch profits depending on how long it lasts.

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner There are many hot-button issues in the U.S. press right now, but the one which may have the greatest impact for the entirety of North America is the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This trade agreement, intended to replace the North […]

IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Lincoln’s Logs is brought to you by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff Hello and welcome to another edition of Lincoln’s Logs, where I point out some of my favorite datasets in SONAR that can empower you to make actionable decisions to help keep your trucks rolling and increase revenues.  Today I’m coming to you […]

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Brian Smith of Madisonville, Tennessee, a professional truck driver leased to Mercer Transportation Company of Louisville, Kentucky, a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping at the scene of a fiery crash that killed four people. On March 25, Smith was driving his flatbed near Lordsburg, New Mexico […]

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which is based in New Orleans and has appellate jurisdiction over federal district courts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, determined that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) impermissibly issued a “substantive rule” when it issued “Enforcement Guidance on the […]

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Robert Wheeler of Crestwood, Kentucky, a professional truck driver with Walmart Transportation of Seymour, Indiana, a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for his quick action in helping at the scene when an SUV pulled into the path of oncoming van. On August 9, Walmart driver Robert Wheeler had just […]

The Canadian government says employers who abuse the foreign worker program face “serious consequences” after a newspaper investigation reveals how some carriers with bad safety records exploited under-qualified job-seekers and put them on the road.

Tomatoes imported from Mexico could face a supply chain squeeze caused by new regulations finalized in September between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mexican growers, experts say. The new regulations call for up to 92% of imported Mexican tomatoes crossing the U.S.-Mexico border by truck to be inspected by officials from the U.S. Department […]

Trucking market keeps rising against easy comparisons

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff Hello and welcome to another edition of Lincoln’s Logs, where I call out some of my favorite data in SONAR that can empower you to make actionable decisions to help keep your trucks rolling and increase revenues.  Today we’re going to take a look at how a weather […]

Dan Doran suggests the industry should’ve focused on HOS revisions before discussing ELDs.

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner For the past several years, the crash statistics for large trucks and buses have been getting worse. While this could be driven by many different factors, from the prevalence of cell phone use and distracted driving to the deteriorating […]

Sign up required to access database when it’s fully implemented on January 6.

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel In the last Legal Comment, we discussed a recent Massachusetts federal district court ruling. Specifically, we looked at the aspect of that decision which dealt with compensating drivers during various phases of an orientation program. As noted in that article, the court also addressed whether sleeper berth time in […]

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Brian Smith of Louisville, Kentucky, a professional truck driver leased to Mercer Transportation Company also of Louisville, Kentucky, a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping at the scene of a fiery crash that killed four people. On March 25, Smith was driving his flatbed near Lordsburg, New […]

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Terry Whittington, a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, Inc., a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping a fellow truck driver that was struck by a passing motorist while inspecting his vehicle. It was 7:30 a.m. in June 2018, Whittington was leaving Fontana, California on Interstate […]

After a record year for orders in 2018, fleets and dealers are holding back on placing many new trailer orders, a situation that analysts say could improve in the fourth quarter.

Two big events hit trucking like a hammer this week. What are the long run implications?

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform  – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform for […]

OEMs discuss the seemingly endless benefits that accrue from connected truck platforms.

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel A Massachusetts federal district court recently issued an important ruling addressing whether driver trainees attending a carrier’s orientation program were in fact “employees” of a carrier and therefore subject to the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  Background The carrier operates its own truck driver training school. […]

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Terry Whittington of Fort Smith, Arkansas, a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, Inc., a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping a fellow truck driver that was struck by a passing motorist while inspecting his vehicle. It was 7:30 a.m. in June 2018, Whittington was leaving […]

Preliminary used Class 8 truck sales fell for the 10th consecutive month in August as used trucks hit the market in bigger numbers because of new truck deliveries from record orders placed in the latter half of 2018.

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner On Wednesday, September 11, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing to examine funding options for nationwide infrastructure improvements. The hearing, titled “Pricing and Technology Strategies to Address Congestion on and Financing […]

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel An automotive supplier will be required to revise its no-fault attendance policy after the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s recent determination that an employee’s lawsuit challenging the attendance policy should go forward. The employee was terminated after accumulating more absences than allowed by the employer’s […]

The bulls are coming out in support of truckload carriers, kind of. Several equity analysts are using a recent positive inflection in TL volumes, a belief that fundamentals aren’t getting materially worse, and attractive valuation multiples to become more positive on the stocks.

The Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Scholarship Fund will be providing financial assistance to 52 undergraduate college students for the 2019-20 academic school year. Each student will receive a scholarship ranging from $6,250 to $2,725 from a total pool of nearly $150,000. Since 1973, the Fund has been providing scholarships to students associated with the trucking […]

IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Post by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff I hope you had a great long weekend and enjoyed some time with family, football and good food. Although I bet if you were anything like us here at FreightWaves, the threat of a category 5 hurricane barreling towards the 3rd largest port in the US probably […]

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge encourage professional truck drivers and independent contractors to nominate their companies as Best Fleets to Drive For®. The annual contest and survey, now in its 12th year, evaluates and identifies those employers who provide exceptional workplace environments within the trucking industry. Visit www.BestFleetsToDriveFor.com between September 3 and October 31, 2019, […]

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform  – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform […]

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Have you ever heard the saying, “there’s no time like the present?” According to Dictionary.com, this adage dates back to 1562. While life in the 16th century was certainly much different from our own, one thing […]

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff delivered an insightful freight market tidbit Thursday, August 29. Hello TPP Group Members, and welcome to my favorite day of the year: The start of college football! (Note: last week didn’t count, it was a good primer, but the football was sloppy and Florida was lucky to get that […]

Roughly 3,580 drivers will be affected by the FMCSA’s exemption

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff delivered an insightful freight market tidbit from the Cincinnati market Tuesday, August 27. Cincinnati has historically been a positive headhaul market, with more outbound freight than inbound. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a pretty large shift as inbound volumes are up almost 30 percent from the average […]

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform  – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform […]

Multiple commenters expressed concern about carriers, shippers or brokers coercing drivers to operate in unsafe conditions under the proposed rules.

Truck wait times at ports of entry along the United States-Mexico border are up, from El Paso, Texas, to Otay Mesa, California. Industry professionals said the longer wait times are a combination of truckers spending more time waiting to load and unload freight at docks and intermodal facilities, as well as slower border inspection routines […]

Most forecasts have been conservative, but not this one.

If theres going to be an exception for trucking, its going to be next year or through the courts.

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform  – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform for the North […]