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.
Data Shows There Are More Truckers Than Ever, but Experts Say the Driver Shortage Is Still an Issue
While U.S. Census Bureau data shows the number of truckers at an all-time high, industry experts contend a driver shortage remains an issue.
Tonnage Drops 6.1% in May, ATA For-Hire Index Shows
Tonnage took a 6.1% decline in May, according to American Trucking Associations’ For Hire Truck Tonnage Index. Compared with May 2018, the seasonally adjusted index increased 0.9%, the smallest year-over-year gain since April 2017.
FMCSA Chief Ray Martinez Tells Congress HOS Proposed Rule in ‘Final Stages’
WASHINGTON — A proposed rule meant to update hours-of-service guidelines for truck drivers will be announced in the near term, Ray Martinez, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said during a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Mexico’s Senate Ratifies USMCA Amid Trump Tariff Cease-Fire
Mexico’s Senate ratified a North American trade deal with the U.S. and Canada, becoming the first to do so amid a truce reached with President Donald Trump over an unrelated tariff threat.
Refiners’ Group Asks Appeals Court to Block Expansion of E15 Gasoline
A trade organization representing U.S. refiners is asking an appeals court to reject a Trump administration plan to expand nationwide the blending, distribution and year-round sale of E15 fuel.
Kansas 3-Axle, Grand Champ Kevin Mailand Primed for Pittsburgh
For Kevin Mailand, the National Truck Driving Championships are going to have a familiar feel. Mailand, a YRC Freight driver with nearly 35 years' experience over the road, captured the 3-Axle crown at the Kansas Truck Driving Championships and in the process punched his ticket to Pittsburgh for nationals. Turn back the clock 10 years: Mailand won in the Twins class to earn Rookie of the Year honors and a trip to the NTDC in … Pittsburgh.
Idaho Cold Food Storage Facility Design Will Cut Loading, Unloading Time
The tallest building in Burley, Idaho, contains millions of pounds of frozen french fries and other potato products. At 14 stories, it’s one of the largest cold storage facilities in the country.
Shopify Sets Up Fulfillment Network in US, Just Like Amazon
Shopify Inc. plans to spend $1 billion to set up a network of fulfillment centers in the United States to help merchants using its e-commerce platform deliver products more quickly and cheaply, much the way Amazon.com does.
Medium-Duty Sales Rise in May, Top 22,000 Units
U.S. retail sales of medium-duty trucks in May stayed the course and topped 22,000, slightly higher than a year earlier, WardsAutomotive.com reported.
Rookie Competitor Julie Hjelle Becomes North Dakota’s First Woman Qualifier for Nationals
Julie Hjelle has made history as the first woman to qualify for the National Truck Driving Championships from North Dakota, as well as the first woman from the state to win Rookie of the Year.