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.
Trailer Orders Top 13,000, Off 39% Year-Over-Year
U.S. net orders of trailers hit 13,800 in March, down 39% year-over-year as all but dump trailers showed weakness, while backlogs remained solid, research firm FTR said.
Jimmy Haslam Fights Deposition Order in Pilot Flying J Case
Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam has been ordered by an Alabama judge to appear for a deposition May 11 in the truck-stop chain's rebate fraud case, but a Tennessee paper is reporting that Haslam is fighting his appearance.
April 21, 2016Rush Enterprises Reports First Quarter Revenue and Net Income Fall
Truck dealership Rush Enterprises reported first-quarter revenue and net income year-over-year fell in the first quarter ended March 31, to $1.1 billion and $2.4 million, respectively, or 6 cents per diluted share.
April 21, 2016Leading Economic Indicators Climb Less Than Forecast in March
The index of U.S. leading economic indicators increased less than forecast in March, restrained by a drop in building permits.
Hapag-Lloyd, UASC in Merger Talks as Cargo-Price Crisis Lingers
Hapag-Lloyd is in talks with United Arab Shipping Co. on a possible combination of their container businesses, potentially setting up the German company’s second merger in two years as the maritime-freight industry grapples with a drop in prices.
BMW Opens Port of Galveston Distribution Center
BMW Group said it opened its newest vehicle distribution center at the Port of Galveston in Texas. The facility is expected to import and process about 32,500 vehicles annually, which represents an import value of nearly $1.3 billion, BMW said.
April 21, 2016Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Drop to Lowest Level Since 1973
Jobless claims unexpectedly decreased to the lowest level since 1973, indicating the U.S. labor market remains a pillar of support in the world’s largest economy.
April 21, 2016Replay: LiveOnWeb on On-Demand Delivery
Our April 20 LiveOnWeb webcast looked at how online shopping is creating enormous disruption to freight networks and modes of delivery. We examined Amazon.com and a future transportation network in which human couriers work alongside an array of automated vehicles to bring goods directly to consumers. Plus we looked back at the new TT Top 50 Logistics Companies rankings. Watch the replay.
April 20, 2016Knight, Werner, Landstar Report Lower First-Quarter Earnings
Three major truckload carriers reported weaker first-quarter results in the challenging freight market.
April 20, 2016Port of Long Beach Explores Cutting Truck Traffic, Boosting Rail
The Port of Long Beach, California, has started to study the feasibility of shipping more incoming cargo to the Inland Empire by shorthaul rail.