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.
State DOTs Find Alternative Solutions to Clearing Roads
States are working to decrease the amount of product needed to clear winter roads, implementing brine technology and adding corrosion inhibitors
Trucking Is the Line Between Other Industries
Michael Freeze reflects on a recent podcast conversation about the trucking industry and logistics.
Caterpillar Sees Housing Boom Leading 2021 Sales Recovery
Caterpillar Inc. fourth-quarter earnings beat analysts’ expectations as reopening economies stoked demand for its signature yellow machines. The company said it expects stronger year-over-year sales this quarter, led by construction industries.
Congestion Worsens at Southern California Ports
Ship congestion around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach hit an unprecedented level, worsening the bottleneck at the busiest gateway for U.S. imports.
Landstar Reports Record-Setting Q4 Revenue
Landstar System Inc. on Jan. 27 reported record-setting fourth-quarter revenue that helped lift the company’s profits for the period.
Freight Transportation Undergoing Uneven Recovery, Panel Says
Trucking has already returned to pre-pandemic norms in many ways but there are still issues — including capacity — that are lagging behind, according to panelists at the SMC³ Jump Start 2021 conference on Jan. 27.
GM Sets Goal of Going Largely Electric by 2035
General Motors Co. has set a goal of making the vast majority of the vehicles it produces electric by 2035, and the entire company carbon neutral, including operations, five years after that.
Norfolk Southern Reports Decline in Q4 Earnings
Norfolk Southern Corp. saw its fourth-quarter revenue fall by 4% as freight volume fell in most of the commodities it moves.
December Used Class 8 Price, Sales Climb
Used Class 8 sales rose in December along with double-digit gains in prices as the average heavy-duty truck’s mileage and age remained below year-earlier levels, ACT Research reported.
Chinese Trucking Startup Full Truck Alliance Eyes $1 Billion US IPO
Uber-like Chinese startup Full Truck Alliance is preparing for a U.S. initial public offering that could raise at least $1 billion as soon as this year, after eking out a slim 2020 profit thanks to a pandemic-era shipping surge.
January 28, 2021