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.
An HOS Rule That Works
The truck-involved fatality rate on the nation’s highways has hit a new low in the latest data provided by the Department of Transportation.
April 18, 2011Class 8 Sales Soar in March to Highest Total in Four Years
Class 8 retail truck sales in the United States soared 44.2% in March from a year earlier to the highest level in nearly four years, with all original equipment manufacturers posting volume gains of at least 10%.
April 18, 2011Highway Fatality Rate Falls Again
The rate at which fatalities occurred in highway accidents involving large trucks dropped to the lowest level on record, falling 14.1% in 2009 from the previous year, according to an analysis of Department of Transportation data by American Trucking Associations.
April 18, 2011Truckload Driver Turnover Rate Rises as Fleets Grow to Meet Freight Demand
Truck-driver turnover rose from historic lows during the fourth quarter of 2010, and is likely to rise further this year as fleets seek more drivers to meet growing freight demand, American Trucking Associations reported last week.
April 18, 2011New Wave of Used Heavy-Duty Trucks Expected, But Trade-ins Likely to Come With More Miles
The U.S. used Class 8 market, beset by a widespread scarcity of low-mileage vehicles and spiraling prices, is expected to receive a huge infusion of fresh supply, according to industry executives and analysts.
April 18, 2011LNG Supporters Eye Expansion to Create National Network
The first extended network of natural gas filling stations could be running in a few years, the head of the nation’s largest natural-gas fuel distributor said April 13.
April 18, 2011GAO Sees Flaws in DOT’s Grants Process
The Government Accountability Office last week issued two reports that found flaws in the Transportation Department’s process for awarding $9.5 billion in federal stimulus grants, drawing sharp criticism from some Republican members of Congress.
April 18, 2011Wetlines Proposal Will Burden Trucking, ATA Chairman Windsor Tells House Panel
Federal regulators should abandon a proposed rule that would restrict transportation of flammable liquids in the pipes used to load and unload gasoline and other flammable products, the chairman of American Trucking Associations told a House panel last week.
April 18, 2011Senate Bill Would Allow States to Raise Limit to 97,000 Pounds for Trucks on Interstates
Legislation that would allow states to increase maximum vehicle weights to 97,000 pounds on interstate highways has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate.
April 18, 2011Experts Say Outlook for Brokers Is Positive Despite Tightening Margins, Cost Pressures
ORLANDO, Fla. — The outlook for brokerage firms is mostly positive, despite compressed margins and inflationary cost pressures, industry officials and analysts said.
April 18, 2011