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.
Drivers Overcome Web of Regulations to Deliver Holiday Fireworks
Although they drive trucks only one to six times a year, drivers for American Pyrotechnics Association members face unique challenges related to federal transportation safety regulation.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer Pitches User Charge to Spur Infrastructure Funding
WASHINGTON — Road user charges, manifested in the form of a miles-based user fee (MBUF), are the best alternative for sustainable infrastructure funding, according to Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Denies Insider Trading
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross made a trade betting that the stock in a shipping company with Russian-government ties would fall, a transaction coming just days after he learned of a possible negative news story about his investment in the company.
VW Truck & Bus to Be Renamed Traton Group
Volkswagen Truck & Bus announced it will rename itself Traton Group to further increase its independence from parent company Volkswagen AG and toward “capital market readiness” in preparation for a potential IPO by the unit.
UPS, Teamsters Resume Contract Talks as Threat of Strike Looms
The latest round of face-to-face labor negotiations between UPS Inc. and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was slated for the week of June 18, with the threat of a strike looming over the talks if no agreement can be reached before the current five-year contract expires Aug. 1.
Volvo Sees New South Carolina Plant as Hedge Against Tariffs
When Volvo Car Group broke ground on its first U.S. assembly plant in 2015, it was a proud proof point for the Swedish automaker’s rebound and global expansion, not a chess move in anticipation of a possible trade war.
Penske Logistics to Buy Epes Transport
Penske Logistics will acquire Epes Transport System, a Greensboro, N.C., dry-van truckload and dedicated contract carriage provider, with more than 1,100 drivers. Terms were not disclosed.
Concrete Group Seeks 14-Hour Workday
The American Concrete Pumping Association is asking federal regulators to extend allowable work hours in a day for shorthaul drivers from 12 to 14.
Maersk Appoints First Female Executive in 114-Year History
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the world’s biggest shipping company, has appointed a woman to be its chief financial officer for the first time in its 114-year history. Carolina Dybeck Happe, 45, who has held various high-ranking posts at lockmaker Assa Abloy AB, will start at Maersk by the beginning of next year.
New Partnership to Explore Effect of Autonomous Vehicles on Workplace
A diverse group of leading companies and associations launched the Partnership for Transportation Innovation and Opportunity, a collaboration committed to exploring how autonomous vehicles will impact American workers as well as identifying opportunities and developing solutions to address future challenges.