Business
Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.
Retail Sales Rose 1.9% in September, the Fifth Consecutive Month of Growth
NEW YORK — Retail sales in the U.S. rose 1.9% in September, the 5th consecutive month of growth.
Nikola Shares Plunge After CEO Says Startup Can Go It Alone
Nikola Corp. CEO Mark Russell sees a path ahead for his company even if the embattled electric-truck startup is unable to come to terms with General Motors Co. on a proposed strategic partnership.
GM’s Cruise Unit OK’d for Automated Tests in San Francisco
General Motors Co.’s Cruise unit will be allowed to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in San Francisco without a safety driver, joining Amazon .com Inc.-backed Zoox Inc. and a handful of other self-driving startups.
September Trailer Orders Surge Past 50,000
U.S. trailer orders in September went through the roof — preliminarily clearing 50,000 — to reach the third-highest monthly total ever, analysts said.
Bollinger Motors to Build Battery Packs for Its Electric Trucks
Oak Park, Mich.-based electric-vehicle startup Bollinger Motors on Oct. 15 said it will produce its own battery packs for its vehicles according to a new design it developed and for which it has submitted a patent.
COVID-19 Relief Bill on Senate Floor Week of Oct.19, McConnell Says
An emergency funding measure aimed at small businesses and sectors affected by the pandemic is expected to reach the floor of the U.S. Senate the week of Oct. 19, the chamber’s leader recently indicated.
Appellate Court Overturns Convictions of Former Pilot President, Two Executives
A federal appellate court has overturned the fraud convictions of former Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood and two ex-Pilot sales executives on the grounds that a lower federal court permitted use of evidence that should not have been admitted.
Fiat Chrysler to Invest Up to $1.1 Billion in Canadian Plants
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV agreed to invest as much as $1.1 billion (C$ 1.5 billion) in one of its two assembly plants in Canada as part of a tentative agreement reached with more than 9,000 local autoworkers.
Stimulus Looks Doomed by Parties’ Divergent Goals
Even with the U.S. still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, Washington fell short in delivering more stimulus before the election, whipsawed by President Donald Trump and hobbled by the diverging agendas of the top Republican and Democrat in Congress. Now, voters will help decide what happens next.
Layoffs Remain Elevated as 898,000 Seek Jobless Aid
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose the week of Oct. 5 to 898,000, a historically high number and evidence that layoffs remain a hindrance to the economy’s recovery from the pandemic recession that erupted seven months ago.