Business

After disappointing years from 2006 to 2014, things are looking up at PortMiami. In March, the port handled 97,577 TEUs of cargo — the second-highest monthly total in the port’s history — and, so far, cargo traffic is up 5.8% over the same period in fiscal 2017.

Reefers need to be able to keep freight at a specified temperature, but there is more than one way to achieve thermal efficiency.

Many in the industry say variable-speed drives, which run only as fast as necessary, are increasingly popular. Variable drives can save on horsepower and therefore save on fuel. However, the more traditional on-off drive also is a popular choice because it’s simplest and cheapest.

Not all fleets are convinced of the benefits of air disc brakes. But suppliers maintain there is a growing acceptance of them for heavy-duty trucks, driven by an increase in the deployment of active safety technology, such as collision mitigation and avoidance systems.

In the endless quest to make trailers lighter, sturdier and more thermally efficient, some trailer manufacturers are expanding their use of composite materials, which could offer the potential for a higher strength-to-weight ratio.

When Cummins Inc. invited industry journalists to the introduction of its X15, the new generation of its 15-liter truck engine, the event showcased not only the latest in heavy-duty truck engines, but also the evolution of transmission technology in trucking.

For-hire carrier ArcBest Corp. reported May 10 first-quarter net income of $9.9 million, or 37 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $7.4 million, or 29 cents, in the same period of 2017.

Americold, a global operator of temperature-controlled warehouses, issued its first quarterly earnings report since becoming a publicly owned company in January and it wasn’t pretty, at least on the surface.

An independent investigator has notched up his probe into whether top Teamsters leaders accepted undisclosed gifts from a business that brokered health benefits for the union.

At Memphis International Airport, drones may soon be inspecting planes and delivering airplane parts for FedEx Corp. In Reno, Nev., they will test airlifting life-saving defibrillators to patients. And customers in Virginia could be awaiting Alphabet Inc.’s flying devices to get goods they ordered.