Closures and layoffs continue to vex the trucking industry in 2019, but three recent downsizings were attributed by the companies involved more to the vicissitudes of the energy, retail and final-mile industries than to a slowdown in the overall freight market.

UPS Inc. reported $1.75 billion in net income in the third quarter of 2019, up 15.9% from the same period a year ago, in an earnings statement released Oct. 22.

The U.S. average retail price of diesel dropped by 0.1 cent to $3.050 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported Oct. 21.

Marten Transport saw record revenues lead to an 8.7% increase in net income, up to $16.6 million, from $15.3 million in the third quarter of 2018, according to an earnings report released Oct. 17.

For drivers wary of the prices for new or gently used trucks, lease-purchase agreements can offer a path to eventual ownership, but researching the deal before signing on the dotted line is crucial to avoid potential financial pitfalls, experts said.

The U.S. average retail price of diesel rose by 0.4 cent to $3.051 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported Oct. 15, breaking a three-week decline.

FedEx Freight is expanding its FedEx Freight Direct e-commerce pilot to more than 80% of the contiguous population of the United States, following expansion of the program to additional markets earlier this year.

SAN DIEGO — The future of trucking will mean managers will be tasked with sifting through a lot of data at the same time the industry turns to artificial intelligence, according to a panel of transportation officials.

SAN DIEGO — Daseke Inc. is launching a series of business improvement plans that includes an internal council of CEOs from flatbed carriers it owns, and that targets reducing operating ratios and cutting costs at its Addison, Texas, headquarters, company executives told Transport Topics.

SAN DIEGO — FlowBelow Aero Inc. has landed a commitment from Mesilla Valley Transportation to equip its trailers with its AeroSlider attachments that fit between the rear wheels. The announcement was made Oct. 7 at American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition.