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.
Texas Manufacturing Growth Sparks Optimistic Outlook
Manufacturing activity in Texas grew in February, leaving economists and others in the industry optimistic about the future of production across the state and even into the Mexican borderlands.
Amazon Cites Reduced Carbon Output in New Delivery Option
Amazon Prime customers across the United States now can pick which day of the week they want to receive their packages. By offering the option of a specific day for delivery, the Seattle-based retail giant says this will cut its carbon footprint, reduce packaging since the items likely will arrive in fewer boxes, and make shipping more predictable.
Opinion: The Maintenance Shop’s Role in Fleet Optimization
Making the best use of your fleet should include considering the role of the maintenance shop. No company wants to continually rely on always having spare trucks available should a unit go down. That makes an efficient shop a vital component of your fleet’s overall performance.
Waymo Begins Marketing Self-Driving Sensors
Waymo on March 6 began selling the laser-mapping sensors used on its driverless vehicles to other companies — as long as the customers don’t compete with its core robotaxi business. The sensors, known as lidar, shoot lasers off objects to determine what is nearby.
Congress Signals Potential for Infrastructure Bill as Stakeholders Call for Sustainable Funding
WASHINGTON — Leadership from groups representing key sectors of the freight industry on March 6 urged the powerful tax-writing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives to approve a long-term funding system for the country’s network of freight and commuter corridors.
Companies Added 183,000 Workers in February
Companies added fewer workers to U.S. payrolls in February after a burst of hiring in the prior month that was stronger than previously reported, signaling that the labor market continues to underpin what may become the longest economic expansion on record this year.
Tesla Probably Can’t Make Money in China, Morgan Stanley Says
Investors should keep their expectations about Tesla Inc.’s ability to operate profitably in China “very low,” Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note, adding that he’s cautious about the country’s role in the carmaker’s long-term strategy and fundamental value.
Trade Gap of $621 Billion in 2018 Marked Highest in Decade
The U.S. trade deficit widened in 2018 to a 10-year high of $621 billion, bucking President Donald Trump’s pledges to reduce it, as tax cuts boosted domestic demand for imports while the strong dollar and retaliatory tariffs weighed on exports.
GM’s Cruze-Producing Ohio Plant Goes Idle
A sprawling General Motors assembly plant near Youngstown, Ohio, will be idled March 6 after more than 50 years producing cars and other vehicles, a move that will eliminate nearly 1,700 hourly positions by month’s end.
Legal Status for Transport of Hemp Remains Confusing
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear a legal challenge to the arrest of an Oregon truck driver and seizure of a 6,700-pound load of hemp being transported through Idaho.