Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists

  • An Arkansas Motor Freight Lines truck at a transfer and storage facility in a 1935 photograph.
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    Courtesy of ABF Freight
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    ABF Freight at 100: Investments in workforce, M&A pay off

    A local hauler launched in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 1923 has blossomed over a century into the nation’s largest unionized LTL carrier.

    Colin Campbell • Nov. 10, 2023
  • Andrew Boyle, American Trucking Associations chairman, addresses ATA MCE 2023 attendees at the conference's closing banquet.
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    Colin Campbell/Trucking Dive
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    ‘Win the sale’: Big Trucking’s attention turns to the 2024 election

    The economy is the industry’s top concern, but politics took on a new emphasis this year at an annual trade show.

    Colin Campbell • Oct. 31, 2023
  • A view of storage tanks at the Phillips 66 refinery on Nov. 17, 2021.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    California diesel prices soar as higher tax takes effect

    West Coast fuel costs continue to put pressure on a rough trucking environment, particularly in the Golden State, where prices linger above $6 per gallon.

    David Taube • Oct. 13, 2023
  • Casey's
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    Retrieved from Casey's.
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    Why C-store chains are all-in on travel centers

    Traditional players like Casey's, QuikTrip and RaceTrac are testing the truck stop market for higher margins and EV charging.

    Brett Dworski • Aug. 7, 2023
  • A Heliox electric charging port connects to a Mack Electric heavy-duty vehicle
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    Jacob Wallace/Trucking Dive
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    Waste industry braces for ‘bumps and bruises’ in EV rollout as California sets the pace

    Haulers and vehicle manufacturers at WasteExpo said they expect a potential collision between regulation-fueled demand and limited supply of battery-electric trucks. Charging infrastructure is also a growing concern.

    Jacob Wallace • May 12, 2023
  • The headquarters of BlackRock in Manhattan.
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    Spencer Platt/Trucking Dive, data from Getty Images
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    Investment firms BlackRock, Vanguard shift stakes across carriers

    Top financial juggernauts raised their stakes in carriers such as Knight-Swift but diverged in their investment choices elsewhere. Here's what analysts say matter for the trucking industry in the year ahead.

    David Taube • April 7, 2023
  • A row of freight trucks.
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    Permission granted by Estes Express Line
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    Rooted in Richmond: How Virginia’s capital spawned 3 LTL giants

    The often-intertwined histories of Overnite Transportation Co., Old Dominion Freight Line and Estes Express Lines offer lessons to today’s fleet executives.

    Colin Campbell and Shaun Lucas • April 4, 2023
  • XPO Logistics founder Brad Jacobs and Mario Harik talk between photos with colleagues in front of the New York Stock Exchange on the day of the Nov. 1 spinoff of RXO, the company's brokerage arm.
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    Colin Campbell/Trucking Dive
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    Why XPO and its spinoffs expect growth even as Brad Jacobs steps back

    The logistics juggernaut has broken up. But incoming executives plan to continue the founder's emphasis on tech integration and creating shareholder value.

    Colin Campbell • Nov. 2, 2022
  • Operation BBQ Relief driver Joe Myerly uses a lift jack to hand off a shipment of canned green beans to forklift operator Forrest Parks.
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    Permission granted by Operation BBQ Relief
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    How the trucking industry is helping feed a million Floridians after Hurricane Ian

    Operation BBQ Relief drew volunteer drivers from across the country to deliver much-needed supplies in the storm’s aftermath.

    Colin Campbell • Oct. 10, 2022
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    George Frey via Getty Images
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    Why gas tax breaks could 'do little to nothing' to help trucking companies

    Despite temporary relief in some states, truckers worry the International Fuel Tax Agreement will negate any savings.

    Colin Campbell • March 28, 2022
  • A truck driver walking around semi truck his inspecting and safety check to before driving semi truck.
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    1933bkk via Getty Images
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    'A lonely profession': How COVID-19 took a toll on drivers' mental health

    Two years into a pandemic that's left many drivers isolated, industry experts urge new support systems and more open dialogue.

    Katie Pyzyk • March 16, 2022
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    Courtesy of Johnsonville
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    High trucking rates prompt food shippers to wade into logistics

    A deluge of freight pushed up prices as shortages of tractors, trailers and replacement parts have kept capacity tight.

    Shefali Kapadia • Feb. 14, 2022
  • A Hyzon fuel-cell truck.
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    Courtesy of Hyzon
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    Battery-electric vs. hydrogen trucks: The debate heads into 2022

    As fleets eye a future with zero emissions, industry remains undecided whether BEVs or FCEVs will come out ahead.

    Jim Stinson • Jan. 25, 2022
  • A FedEx truck makes deliveries in Manhattan on September 17, 2020 in New York City.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Regulations, costs dissuade truck carriers from hauling in the Northeast

    Connecticut was once one of the crown business jewels of the Northeast. Now, the state is steadily losing people and, with them, businesses.

    Jim Stinson • Jan. 14, 2022
  • Truck transport container on highway at sunset, motion blur effect, logistics import export background and cargo transport industry
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    Tryaging via Getty Images
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    Lofty used truck prices forge a divide between large sellers and small buyers

    Prices for used trucks, at times exceeding new Class 8 prices, test the financials of owner-operators and small fleets. 

    Jim Stinson • Dec. 22, 2021
  • An illustration of a truck driving through drug and alcohol obstacles
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    Adeline Kon/Trucking Dive
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    Did FMCSA Clearinghouse shrink the driver pool and challenge recruitment?

    The answer depends on who in the transport industry you ask.

    S.L. Fuller • Nov. 29, 2021
  • An aereal shot of the San Pedro Bay ports, Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, provided in a news release on Oct. 26, 2021.
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    Courtesy of Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach
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    Trucking's role in untangling the web of West Coast port congestion

    The driver shortage has become a "scapegoat" for bottlenecks as empty containers, low yard productivity, limited space and unavailable chassis converge.

    Jim Stinson • Nov. 22, 2021
  • popularity on social media, like icons, influencer star on social network, hands typing on keyboard as background
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    anyaberkut via Getty Images
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    Driver referrals in the age of social media: A modern twist on recruitment

    Peer engagement demystifies the industry and creates solidarity among truckers, which can make the job more attractive.

    Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 19, 2021
  • Werner truck
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    Retrieved from Werner on July 06, 2021
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    Dedicated business booms for fleets as shippers avoid the pricey spot market

    With capacity tight, companies are considering the benefits of a private fleet. But, as one Werner executive said, operating one is easier said than done.

    Jim Stinson • Oct. 19, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    The rise of LTL: How e-commerce changed the middle mile

    Businesses are shipping smaller quantities of freight more frequently, and it's a pricey business for everyone involved.

    S.L. Fuller • Oct. 6, 2021
  • Burnt down telecom antenna @ Annecy-le-Vieux 5G
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    Retrieved from Flickr user Guilhem Vellut on November 13, 2020
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    What 3G's sunset means for supply chain visibility tech

    Trucking is overwhelmed with cargo, and swapping out devices means pulling trailers off the road.

    Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Sept. 13, 2021
  • An XPO driver with his truck.
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    Courtesy of XPO.

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    From sapling to pure-play LTL: The story of XPO Logistics under Jacobs

    Bradley Jacobs is a relentless numbers man and a serial entrepreneur. And he's one thing neither XPO nor GXO can replace.

    Jim Stinson • July 30, 2021
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    Courtesy of USA Truck
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    Transport execs confront high-stakes decision: remote, office or hybrid work?

    USA Truck's business boomed as employees worked from home during the pandemic. Bringing them back means weighing safety, culture and productivity.

    Shefali Kapadia • June 23, 2021
  • Firefighters set a backfire to protect homes and try to contain the Blue Ridge Fire on October 27, 2020 in Chino Hills, California
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    Photo illustration by Adeline Kon/Trucking Dive; photograph by David McNew via Getty Images
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    More frequent, severe wildfires threaten California's growing logistics network

    Fires can clog and cut off freight arteries, creating choke points for inventory traveling via truck and rail.

    Deborah Abrams Kaplan • June 1, 2021
  • Cargo ships (C) hold shipping containers as other containers sit at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's busiest seaport, on September 18, 2018 in San Pedro, California
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    Photo illustration by Adeline Kon/Trucking Dive; photograph by Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    As storms become more frequent and volatile, some ports plan for the risk — but most do not

    The interconnectedness of ports leave assets such as warehouses, trucking networks and railroads vulnerable to disruptions from climate change and rising sea levels.

    Matt Leonard • June 1, 2021