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.
BNSF, Amtrak Detail PTC Progress at House Hearing
Executives from BNSF Railway Co. and Amtrak assured federal lawmakers of their firms’ adherence to congressionally mandated requirements regarding automatic braking technology.
Trump Advances Changes to Unleash Sales of Ethanol-Blend Gasoline
The Trump administration on March 12 advanced a plan meant to expand the U.S. market for corn-based ethanol and place trading restrictions on credits that refiners use to prove they are using biofuel.
Opinion: Multiple Strategies Can Mitigate Driver Shortage
While the demand for trucks to haul freight is showing no signs of slowing down, the number of experienced and available truck drivers is not keeping pace.
Wiley Sanders Truck Lines Fined $3 Million for Illegal Transport of Hazmat Materials in California
A California trucking company has pleaded guilty to illegally transporting more than 128,000 pounds of lead-contaminated plastic battery chips, a hazardous material known to cause irreversible damage to the health of young children who ingest or inhale the substance in contaminated soil or dust.
VW Boosts EV Push to 22 Million Cars as Porsche, Audi Slip
Volkswagen AG aims to produce almost 50% more electric cars than it targeted previously, boosting a bet that has already strained profit margins.
Trump Budget Proposal Includes Cut in Crop Insurance Subsidies
President Donald Trump’s “I LOVE YOU!” tweet to farmers is facing another challenge: Budget cuts that will slash subsidies for crop insurance and small growers.
XPO Installs Two Tech Platforms to Meet Freight Challenges
Faced with a challenging freight business environment and growing e-commerce, XPO Logistics Inc. said it will add two new technology platforms, a cloud-based marketplace in Europe and a labor-productivity tracking system in at least 200 warehouses.
Daseke Extends Run of 70% Revenue Growth to Five Straight Quarters
Daseke Inc. reported March 9 that fourth-quarter revenue increased to $447 million from $257.2 million in the same period last year. The flatbed and specialized carrier said it represents the fifth consecutive quarter that year-over-year revenue growth has exceeded 70%.
US Small Business Optimism Improves, Ending Five-Month Skid
Optimism among small companies in the United States improved in February, snapping a five-month losing streak that was the longest in two decades on brighter views of future conditions.
Proposed Legislation Seeks a Mandate for Heavy Trucks to Install Side Underguards — Again
Companion bipartisan bills have been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate and House that call for a new regulation that would require trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds to install side underride guards and ensure that rear guards meet an upgraded specified performance standard.