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.
Volvo Group to Spend $400 Million on Plant Upgrades, Expansion
The Volvo Group on June 28 announced plans to invest nearly $400 million over six years to upgrade its New River Valley, Va., plant that produces all Volvo trucks sold in North America.
June 28, 2019Midwest Deluge Spurs Cut in US Estimate for Soybean Acreage
The spring deluge in the Midwest and Great Plains spurred a cut in the U.S. forecast for soybean acreage, a bigger reduction than analysts expected.
Trump, Xi to Meet at Trade-War Crossroads Fraught With Risks
President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping are set to meet June 29 amid hopes they will hit the pause button in their trade war and resume the search for a longer-term peace.
June 28, 2019Experts: State Funding a Local Issue, Too
Any statewide measure meant to generate revenue for transportation projects should include the needs of localities, according to Darren Kettle, executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission.
VW’s Traton IPO to Raise $1.8 Billion, Pricing at Low End
Volkswagen AG raised 1.55 billion euros ($1.8 billion) selling a stake in its truck business, but only after pricing the offer at the low end of a target range to attract investors to one of Europe’s biggest initial public offerings this year.
Used Class 8 Prices Up 6% in a Year as Inventories Increase
The average used Class 8 truck brought a higher sales price in May than in the same month a year earlier, but with inventories gradually building and growth in the freight market slowing down after last year’s boom, analysts are divided on the long-term outlook for values.
Trailer Orders in May Fall to Lowest Point in Nearly Three Years
U.S. trailer orders plunged below 11,000 in May to the lowest point in nearly three years, tracking the orders for Class 8 vehicles that plummeted earlier in the month.
China Maintains Negotiating Stance Ahead of Trade Talks
There’s no change to China’s conditions for making a trade deal with the United States as the nations’ leaders prepare to meet this weekend, a government spokesman said.
June 27, 2019Experts: Trucking Companies Should Use Data Collected to Improve Margins, Decrease Downtime
ARLINGTON, Va. — Trucking companies that effectively mine the data generated by their operations can free up time and capital to invest in other areas of their businesses, experts said at an industry meeting here.
VW Piles Into Crowded Car-Sharing Market With All-Electric Fleet
Volkswagen AG will dive into the increasingly crowded car-sharing market with its WeShare offering, which will seek to distinguish itself from rivals with an electric-only fleet.