UPS Freight takes $10M hit from coronavirus, sees slight rebound in Asia

International air freight tonnage rebounded in March and was up more than 15%, "primarily on Asia outbound lanes, as the China recovery took hold," UPS' CFO said.

By Jim Stinson • April 29, 2020

20K signatures: Calls grow for targeted federal relief

A KeepTruckin petition calls for targeted economic relief for insurance and truck payment costs, as officials warn of a "freight cliff" that could leave small carriers with inadequate liquidity to survive past the coronavirus crisis. 

By Jim Stinson • April 28, 2020

FourKites: Data can help prepare for delays as New York City dwell times surge

Although the data is available, fleets are still in the process of transitioning to artificial intelligence to sort through the incoming gigabytes of information per hour, and make simple recommendations to drivers and dispatch offices.   

By Jim Stinson • April 27, 2020

Volvo to restart production at 'low levels' as OEMs face slumping market

Fleets are hitting pause on buying during the coronavirus pandemic, meaning truck manufacturers have to manage a new, troublesome environment.

By Jim Stinson • April 27, 2020

Coca-Cola reports border bottlenecks, touts localized supply chain to keep products flowing

As health screenings and policy changes slow traffic at border crossings around the world, Coca-Cola's ingredients are facing delays en route to plants.

By Emma Cosgrove • April 27, 2020

Knight-Swift's essential goods mix up to 72% in Q1

Experts are unsure essential goods are the tide that will lift trucking during the pandemic, because food, paper products and other items are only so much of the freight market.

By Jim Stinson • April 23, 2020

Old Dominion touts price discipline, holds firm on rates in Q1

The LTL firm is not witnessing market share loss in any part of the United States, the CFO said. 

By Jim Stinson • April 23, 2020

Landstar: Industrial load declines like 'nothing experienced in the history of the company'

Company officials mentioned April, a month not yet reported, as seeing serious drop in automotive freight.

By Jim Stinson • April 23, 2020

Paccar Parts has record-setting Q1 while truck sales dip

Increased shipments of medical supplies, food, infrastructure materials and goods stimulated parts demand in the first quarter of 2020. 

By Jim Stinson • April 21, 2020

Coronavirus pushes fleets to rethink the last mile

The pandemic has thrown a wrench into route optimization planning and could accelerate e-commerce in the long term.

By Jim Stinson • April 21, 2020

PPE shortages, driver health spell further trouble for trucking

FEMA, Congress, industry groups and fleets have flagged the health of drivers as a growing concern as the coronavirus persists.

By Jim Stinson • Updated April 21, 2020

FTR: Tough trucking conditions to persist until 2021

Trailer orders dropped 54% in March, and volumes and rates could hit bottom in April and May, said FTR.

By Jim Stinson • April 17, 2020

XPO CEO is a 'mega-bull' in the long term, despite coronavirus

Brad Jacobs, XPO CEO, said 2020 will be a lost year for earnings, but big things will follow.

By Jim Stinson • April 16, 2020

Coronavirus prompts JB Hunt to reallocate resources

The carrier saw Q1 revenue rise as the COVID-19 pandemic spiked trucking demand, but CEO John Roberts anticipates "near-term turbulence."

By Jim Stinson • April 15, 2020

March TL linehaul rates lowest since 2009, Cass says

Shipper spending on transport fell 8% in March, and Cass said it expects transport pricing to remain low through May. 

By S.L. Fuller • April 15, 2020

FedEx Freight furloughs undisclosed number of workers

FedEx officials said the action was due to the economic impact of COVID-19, and was necessary "to protect the financial stability of the company."

By Jim Stinson • April 14, 2020

Coronavirus slowdowns and shutdowns: What's next for trucking?

With COVID-19 cases reaching peak in parts of the U.S., fleet executives turn their attention to post-pandemic demand. 

By Jim Stinson • April 14, 2020

After March panic peak, load volume returning to normal

Coronavirus-driven demand boosted trucks in March, but now load normalcy may be returning.

By Jim Stinson • April 13, 2020

Lower oil and diesel prices are a mixed bag for trucking

Cheap oil could mean layoffs for some fleets.

By Jim Stinson • April 9, 2020

WTO predicts dismal trade levels in 2020, spelling trouble for intermodal, owner-operators

Optimistically, global trade would decline by 13% year over year. In a pessimistic outlook, the decline is 32% or more YoY.  

By S.L. Fuller • April 9, 2020

Imports reach 5-year low, signaling drop in demand for transport

The National Retail Federation expects below-normal import volumes through early summer and said cargo could sit longer than usual at ports.

By Shefali Kapadia • April 9, 2020

Consumer demand pushes March truck levels above February

COVID-19 has kept trucks busy, but are rates dropping?

By Jim Stinson • April 8, 2020

Shutdown-impacted businesses taking PPP loans may risk losing CARES Act tax benefits

Until rules are released, it's not clear paying expenses with stimulus loan funds will help a business come tax time.

By Robert Freedman • April 7, 2020

Transportation bottlenecks snarl inputs to food supply chains

Truck driver shortages, port personnel heath checks and other obstacles related to COVID-19 containment and mitigation efforts are keeping grain and other commodity supply chains from flowing normally.

By Emma Cosgrove • April 7, 2020

Fleets breeze along highways but get hit with longer dwell times

During the coronavirus crisis, shippers' best efforts at planning are falling short, with unachievable appointment times up 18% in March compared to February, according to a FourKites' CTO. 

By Jim Stinson • April 6, 2020