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.
Storms Hurt Fleets’ Ability to Pick Up, Deliver Fuel
Long lines at fuel refineries are shortening, but the crush in demand for fuel caused by Hurricane Harvey is still putting pressure on fleets that serve the petroleum industry.
September 7, 2017Knight, Swift Shareholders Approve Merger in Separate Votes
The $6 billion Swift-Knight truckload merger is racing to completion as shareholders of both companies approved the transaction Sept. 7, and the carriers said it would close Sept. 8.
Harvey Harms Cotton Output From Texas
Several hundred thousand bales of cotton likely were lost in Texas due to Hurricane Harvey, delivering a blow not only to those who grow and sell the state’s main agricultural crop but also to the motor carriers that haul it.
September 7, 2017Inaugural NACV to Focus on Equipment Sales — And Being a Different Show From MATS
The inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show is due to open later this month in Atlanta and is shaping up to be very different from the rival Mid-America Trucking Show: smaller but richer — and with an obsessive focus on equipment sales.
New Tennessee FedEx Distribution Center Loaded With Technology, Officials Say
Every one of the up to 12,000 parcels an hour going through the new FedEx Ground distribution center in Chattanooga is run by what officials call a scanner channel.
Industry Celebrates Truck Drivers for Dedication to Profession
Truck drivers deliver virtually everything needed to sustain modern life, and Sept. 10-16 they are getting something in return: Thanks.
Pacific Northwest Wildfires Prompt Federal Emergency HOS Response
Oregon and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have extended an emergency declaration and associated regulatory relief through Oct. 31, allowing truckers to address the fire danger and widespread emergency conditions that create a need for transportation of supplies, equipment and people into and out of the state.
September 7, 2017Hurricane Irma Forces Postponement of Hearing Into CSX Service Woes
Due to the threat of Hurricane Irma, the Surface Transportation Board postponed a meeting scheduled for Sept. 12 to discuss CSX’s rail service woes this summer.
Wanted: Drivers for Self-Driving Cars
Want to get behind the wheel of a self-driving car? Aurora Innovation, a self-driving car company started by top engineers from Google, Tesla and Uber, has posted a job opening for a self-driving vehicle operator in Pittsburgh.
HOS Suspended for Truckers Carrying Hurricane Irma Aid
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has suspended several trucking regulations, including hours-of-service requirements, to facilitate the movement of aid that carriers deliver to states and territories in the path of oncoming Hurricane Irma.
September 7, 2017