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.
Drivers Urged to Use On-the-Job Experiences to Update Vendors’ Navigation Map Software
For some routing technology companies, feedback from the front lines — the truck drivers who can see first-hand when something in the road does not conform to what their navigation devices say — can be some of the most valuable information on their maps.
November 27, 2013Thanksgiving Highway Travel to Fall Slightly, AAA Predicts
The number of Americans traveling more than 50 miles by car for the Thanksgiving weekend will fall 1.5% from last year to 43.4 million, auto group AAA predicted.
Durable Goods Orders Drop in October
Durable goods orders declined 2% in October, the Commerce Department said Nov. 27.
November 27, 2013Jobless Claims Fall to Two-Month Low
Initial jobless claims fell to a two-month low last week, the Labor Department reported Nov. 27.
November 27, 2013Diesel Rises for First Time in 12 Weeks; Gas Sees Biggest Increase Since July
Diesel’s price increased for the first time in 12 weeks, gaining 2.2 cents to $3.844 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported Nov. 25.
Appeals Court Denies AIPBA Request to Stay FMCSA Broker Bond Rule
A federal appeals court denied a request to postpone enforcement of a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rule that would increase to $75,000 from $10,000 the minimum amount of a surety bond the businesses must carry.
Bridge, Tunnel Tolls to Rise in New York By $10 For Truckers
Trucks will have to pay $10 more starting Dec. 1 to travel into Manhattan across the bridges or through the tunnels operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
FMCSA Shuts Down Five Moving Companies
FMCSA has shut down five household-goods moving companies in three states, alleging that the carriers were “holding customer shipments hostage and failing to turn over records related to their investigations.”
Vista Wraps Omnitracs Purchase, Plans to Buy Roadnet
Vista Equity Partners said it has completed its acquisition of onboard communications business Omnitracs Inc. and announced an agreement to purchase Roadnet Technologies Inc., a provider of fleet management software.
Maritime Agency Report Assesses Canal Expansion
The Maritime Administration has released a Panama Canal expansion report that tentatively concluded that increased competition would lower freight costs through East Coast and West Coast ports once larger ships can use the waterway.