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.
SuperTruck: Electrical System Changes Are Coming
The Department of Energy’s SuperTruck project is producing technological changes, including to auxiliary power units, and these changes will be working their way into standard truck manufacturing, according to industry experts.
Kansas City Southern Revenue, Profits Rise
Kansas City Southern announced a significant uptick in profits in the fourth quarter, but similar to virtually all U.S. companies, the final total was bolstered by the savings anticipated from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
APUs: Diesel or Electric?
Auxiliary power units allow truck drivers to have climate control for their sleepers and electricity for hotel loads without needing to idle the tractor engine, but fleets that elect to add APUs to the cab must decide how those APUs will be powered — by a small diesel engine or by batteries.
Canadian Pacific Sees Solid Fourth Quarter
Canadian Pacific Railway reported healthy fourth-quarter and yearly results, with income boosted in part by the recent reduction in the U.S. corporate tax code from 35% to 21%.
XPO Logistics LTL Drivers Reject Teamsters in New York
The latest battleground in the ongoing dispute between XPO Logistics Inc. and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was in Albany, N.Y., where less-than-truckload drivers voted against unionization.
January 19, 2018Tips on Truck Electrical System Maintenance
Troubleshooting problems with a truck’s electrical system takes knowledge and experience.“Always take a systems approach when you are spec’ing and maintaining your vehicles’ electrical systems,” said Bruce Purkey, CEO of Purkey’s Electrical Consulting, which helps fleets solve their electrical system problems.
Equipment Cybersecurity Awareness
Trucking's at increasing risk of cybersecurity threats, and the risk is only going to grow as automated and other advanced technologies become commonplace in the industry.
Deutsche Post DHL Group Launches Global Trade Barometer
Logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL Group launched the Global Trade Barometer, an index designed to present the current state of global trade and provide insight on movement in the next months.
January 19, 2018Some Small Carriers Embrace Glider Kits to Avoid Costs of Emissions Systems
Like some other small trucking firms, Old Forge Services of Mogadore, Ohio, has turned to glider kits to reduce maintenance expenses and downtime.
Gliders, E-Axles: E&MU Looks at 'Old' and 'New'
The January/February edition of Equipment & Maintenance Update examines electric axles, one of the industry’s latest technology advancements, and glider kits, which some truck operators view as a more reliable, cost-effective option compared with trucks with new engines.