Consumer Spending Signals Second-Quarter Rebound On Track
The consumer is on track for a second-quarter comeback after a weak stretch at the start of the year, as Americans kept up spending in line with income gains in April, Commerce Department figures showed May 30.
May 30, 2017Budget Would Spread Tolls
Additional tolls throughout the country and encouraging states to raise revenue to pay for highway projects were key proposals in President Donald Trump’s long-awaited infrastructure plan, detailed in a fiscal 2018 budget request for federal agencies that was released last week.
May 29, 2017Opinion: Urbanization’s Effect on the Supply Chain
For the first time in almost 100 years, the rate of urban population growth has outpaced suburban growth. Americans are flocking to urban areas in large numbers — especially younger workers, or millennials, who view city living as a way to reduce commuting time and transportation expenses. At the same time, we are seeing the deindustrialization of center cities and changes to consumers’ lifestyle preferences.
May 29, 2017Editorial: A Start to Budgeting, Not the End
The infrastructure section of President Donald Trump’s budget proposal is highly problematic in that it probably would lead to a sharp increase in tolled highways and bridges, but for now, we are hopeful that this is just an opening-round statement and not the final word on spending and taxes for fiscal 2018.
May 29, 2017ATA April Tonnage Falls 1.8%; Other Freight Indexes Brighter
Truck tonnage fell 1.8% year-over-year in April even though fleets generally reported positive conditions for the month, according to the latest monthly data from American Trucking Associations.
May 29, 2017Truck Driver Pay Flat in First Quarter, National Transportation Institute Data Show
Truck driver pay was stagnant in the first quarter, marking anemic growth of a fraction of a percent, according to data from the National Transportation Institute.
May 29, 2017Telematics Providers Going Mobile to Expand Capabilities Outside of Cab
The mobile device revolution, started by the release of the first Apple iPhone 10 years ago this summer, has transformed the way fleets communicate with their drivers. For many years, fleet telematics relied solely on proprietary, fixed-mount units in the cab to serve as driver interfaces, but today many telematics vendors offer fleets the ability to communicate with their drivers through mobile devices, ranging from personal smartphones to proprietary tablets that can be easily removed from the cab.
May 29, 20171Q Shipments Up, Margins Shrink; Contract Rates Weaken, TIA Says
Freight brokers reported that shipments and revenue increased in the first quarter compared with a year ago, but margins declined due to a tight pricing environment, according to the Transportation Intermediaries Association.
May 29, 2017Straight Trucks’ Market Share Gains on Highway Tractors
While the grand total of U.S. Class 8s in operation is growing ever so slightly, there are major shifts within the newest segment of that population, including more straight trucks at the expense of highway tractors, according to a recent report on vehicle registrations.
May 29, 2017Hub Group to Acquire Estenson Logistics for $306 Million
Hub Group has reached a deal to acquire Estenson Logistics for $306 million, which, if approved, would combine the Nos. 28 and 46 companies, respectively, on the Transport Topics Top 50 list of the largest logistics companies in North America.
May 26, 2017