Business

About Business News...

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.

Business, Technology

Verizon Launches Fleet Telematics Division

The spread of fleet telematics through the trucking industry expanded with the official launch of Verizon Connect. Telecom giant Verizon Communications has put under a single brand its fleet and mobile workforce management software products.

March 12, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety

‘Lockout-Tagout’ Helps Fleets Ensure the Safety of Technicians

The work of servicing and maintaining a fleet of trucks presents a wide assortment of potential dangers to technicians, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “lockout-tagout” regulations provide guidance to reduce the risk of injury or death.

Bruce Lilly | Special to Transport Topics
March 9, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety

Lighting the Way

Today’s fleets are increasingly shifting toward LED headlights, not only for truck drivers’ safety but also to improve maintenance and the overall operation of the truck, industry experts said.

Jim Romeo | Special to Transport Topics
March 9, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety

Technology Could Attract New Truck Maintenance Technicians

The trucking industry needs to hire about 30,000 maintenance technicians to keep up with demand.

Mindy Long | Special to Transport Topics
March 9, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment, Autonomous

Alphabet’s Waymo Takes on Freight in Atlanta With Driverless Semis

Waymo will start testing a fleet of autonomous freight trucks in Georgia’s capital that will take deliveries to Google’s data centers.

David Welch | Bloomberg News
March 9, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment

Career Pathways Are Evolving

In today’s data-driven world, where much of fleet management strives to solve all of its problems strictly by the numbers, consider the following truth: Data does not fix anything.

Darry Stuart | Past General Chairman and Treasurer, Technology & Maintenance Council
March 9, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment

Putting the ‘Up’ in Uptime

"Uptime,” or keeping trucks running and earning money for their fleets and drivers rather than broken down on the side of the road, is a much-touted term in this industry — for good reason.

Fran Matso Lysiak | Features Editor
March 9, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety

Maintenance Shop Management

With the increasing complexity of modern trucks and an even higher premium placed on drivers’ time, Glen McDonald, maintenance director at Ozark Motor Lines, knew he needed to maximize shop labor and move trucks through his fleet’s maintenance shops more ­quickly, all of which required an updated approach.

Mindy Long | Special to Transport Topics
March 9, 2018
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety

Mobile Lifts Gaining Momentum in Service Shops

Ryder System Inc.is one company whose fleet maintenance technicians are using mobile lifts to get under big rigs.

Steve Brawner | Contributing Writer
March 9, 2018
Government, Business, Logistics

Trump Optimistic on NAFTA After Canada, Mexico Dodge Metals Tariffs

Trump followed through with imposing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, while excluding Canada and Mexico.

Josh Wingrove | Bloomberg News
March 9, 2018