'The virus is not done with us': Carriers foresee lingering COVID-19 challenges

Trucking firms are likely struggling with lack of freight, closed customers, low rates and driver absenteeism, Morgan Stanley said.

By Jim Stinson • June 19, 2020

California to pilot zero-emissions delivery zone

Local leaders in Santa Monica said the pilot program in the city's downtown commercial core will help them achieve ambitious emissions goals by 2028.

By Chris Teale • June 17, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Trucking Dive

These five stories detail the top trends and issues facing the trucking and transportation industry. 

By Trucking Dive staff

How XPO, Estes kept workers safe and planned around coronavirus

Communication and technology have become big parts of the new normal for trucking, executives said.

By Jim Stinson • June 17, 2020

Pandemic accelerates fleets toward electronic BOLs, PODs

Carriers and shippers have adopted new ways of signing paperwork at the loading dock to maintain social distance.

By Heather Larson • June 15, 2020

Tech-focused large carriers in position to capture market share

Fleets can use automation to optimize network density during times of overcapacity, and can use tech to improve service levels with shippers no matter the state of the market. 

By Shefali Kapadia • June 12, 2020

Spot rates recover in long, slow slog back to normality

Data from DAT shows van, reefer and flatbed rates have returned to pre-shutdown levels, coinciding with industry leader predictions that the economy is poised for a sharp reopening.

By Jim Stinson • June 12, 2020

How volume uncertainty plays into the RFP process

Carriers should look for shippers to be transparent in the bidding process, because volume estimates made at the end of last year don't hold water now. 

By Gary Wollenhaupt • June 10, 2020

Navistar maintains US operations but has challenges with suppliers in Mexico

Company officials said a drop in the truck segment was partially because of lower Mexico volumes and a decrease in GM-branded units being sold.

By Jim Stinson • June 4, 2020

Fleets weigh whether to keep pandemic-driven digital changes

Some are concerned a growing impersonal transactional model could threaten trucking's historic reliance on relationships with customers.

By Jim Stinson • June 4, 2020

For firms on the cusp of bankruptcy, Section 363 or Chapter 11?

The Section 363 process can result in quicker sales and more proceeds to secured creditors, but there are risks. 

By Robert Freedman • June 3, 2020

Knight-Swift sees potential for 'acute tightness' in capacity for Q4

As demand comes back online, there is opportunity for a favorable carrier advantage, the CEO said.

By Jim Stinson • June 3, 2020

ATA forges ahead with MCE as other conferences cancel

Conferences are a major source of income for trucking, freight and logistics organizations, and the pandemic did substantial damage to the revenue of the parent firms of such events.

By Jim Stinson • June 2, 2020

Breaking down the benefits: Fleets welcome final HOS rule

Proponents of the FMCSA's final rule tout the flexibility it gives drivers, which is all the more important during pandemic-driven uncertainty.

By Amanda Loudin • June 1, 2020

Hirschbach moves all training online, spurred by the pandemic

The switch to digital hiring and training is made easier because the fleet usually hires drivers with experience on the road and a CDL ready to use.

By Jim Stinson • May 29, 2020

Regulatory hurdles stand between drones and trucks working together in the last mile

A hybrid system diverts workload away from a driver, allowing fleets and drones to deliver in tandem, according to MIT research.

By Morgan Forde • May 29, 2020

Diesel stops 19-week slide after fleets contend with historic low oil prices

As diesel prices rise, fleets will likely make more aggressive use of added technology and aerodynamics to control diesel costs, which is usually a fleet's second-largest expense.

By Jim Stinson • May 27, 2020

Cross-border fleets grapple with downshift in US-Mexico activity

Tumbling oil prices and manufacturing shutdowns have slowed truck traffic at the border, leaving fleets with no clear path of what comes next. 

By Jen A. Miller • May 26, 2020

Truck stocks strengthen as market conditions improve

After the trucking industry endured conditions in April that one analyst described as "worst of the worst," focus is shifting to recovery.

By S.L. Fuller • May 25, 2020

Coyote: Trucking recovery to begin in 2021 with inflationary spot market

A downturn in capacity, as shipper demand recovers, will exacerbate the difference between spot and contract pricing.

By Jim Stinson • May 22, 2020

Truck movement increases with help from CPG, food volumes

FourKites' Glenn Koepke warned fleets should not expect sudden jumps in loads, and industrial volumes will likely remain down through Q3. 

By Shefali Kapadia • May 20, 2020

April tonnage shrinks, but seasonal work nudges rates up

Spot truckload rates are getting healthier, especially in produce regions where harvests are hitting supply chains.

By Jim Stinson • May 20, 2020

FedEx, Microsoft partner on 'near-real-time' parcel tracking

The first product from the partnership, FedEx Surround, traces parcels at the ZIP code level. 

By S.L. Fuller • May 19, 2020

PS Logistics buys Comcar’s CT Transportation as carrier files for bankruptcy

As the economy wobbles, some carriers with cash court distressed competitors.

By Jim Stinson • Updated June 30, 2020

Cass: April volume hits 'recessionary levels,' capacity cuts remain open question

Expenditures fell less than shipments, indicating the volume moving was higher revenue per shipment as a result of longer hauls, according to Cass.

By Matt Leonard • May 18, 2020

FTR: Trucking market hits lowest point, long road to recovery ahead

Analysts expect incremental improvements to the market that will vary by industry and geography.

By Jim Stinson • May 15, 2020