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.
More Companies Report Upbeat 2Q Results
Five freight companies reported upbeat second-quarter earnings last week, rounding out a period that saw profits rise across the truckload, less-than-truckload and logistics sectors.
DOT Analysis of HOS Rule Gets Mixed Review in Audit
A Government Accountability Office audit on statistical methodology at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gave the agency mixed grades on its assessment of drivers’ hours of service and suggested that mandatory electronic logging might one day be used to gain better understanding of how drivers operate.
GAO Urges More Oversight of Third-Party CDL Testers
Federal regulators have been strongly urged to provide better oversight of third-party contractors used by a majority of states to administer skills tests to truckers applying for commercial driver licenses, according to a new government report.
Diesel Average Drops for 10th Straight Week, Reaching Lowest Level Since October 2009
The U.S. diesel average declined 5.5 cents last week to $2.668 a gallon, the lowest price since 2009, the Department of Energy reported.
J.B. Hunt Sues MercuryGate in IT System Dispute
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has sued transportation management systems provider MercuryGate International for $3.1 million, claiming that the vendor's information technology system didn’t work properly.
August 7, 2015Federal Advisory Board Recommends Hair Testing for Truck Driver Drug Screenings
After two years of study, a federal drug advisory board has issued a recommendation that hair specimens be approved as an alternative for federal workplace drug-testing programs.
Trucking Adds 2,800 Jobs in July as Unemployment Holds at 7-Year Low
The trucking industry added 2,800 jobs in July as the unemployment rate held at a seven-year low of 5.3%, the Labor Department reported Aug. 7.
August 7, 2015Saddle Creek Expands at Illinois Logistics Center
The Joliet, Illinois, Intermodal Center operated by CenterPoint Properties is being expanded again with a groundbreaking for Saddle Creek Logistics Services’ 1.11-million-square-foot distribution facility project.
August 7, 2015TravelCenters Profit Falls on Lower Margins, Debt Costs
TravelCenters of America’s second-quarter net income fell 72% to $3.77 million, or 10 cents per share, due to lower profits from fuel sales and one-time costs such as debt repayment.
August 7, 2015Navistar: Truck Manufacturers Pass on Fuel-Economy Challenge
Navistar said its competitors have declined to participate in a fuel-economy challenge the manufacturer proposed last month to be held at its proving ground in Indiana.
August 6, 2015