Truck brokers

Broker benefits from lower costs, but lower rates take a bite out of truckload revenue.

TransForce's package division increased sales 6 percent, but its trucking business struggled in the second quarter.

Second-quarter results show $6.2 billion J.B. Hunt is spending to build intermodal, truck volume, revenue.

"Hauliers and shippers run the risk of being punished for infringement of rules they could not properly prepare for,” the European Shippers' Council said.

Trucking firms in Russia are consolidating and expanding their services in a bid to remain competitive with containerized rail transportation.

Truck capacity is overwhelmingly concentrated among small and midsize carriers.

The truck driver shortage is more a problem for large trucking operators, as the total number of drivers and small fleets grows, said Jeff Tucker, chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association and head of Tucker Company Worldwide.

Total Quality Logistics is opening a third facility in South Carolina, continuing a fast-paced expansion driven by shipper demand for truckload brokerage services.

Departures, both voluntarily and otherwise, in the wake of XPO Logistics’ takeover of Con-Way last year are leading to a migration of some executives to XPO's rival YRC Worldwide and leaving others in limbo.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services beat both Wall Street and Main Street in the fourth quarter, winning more business and hauling more freight when overall U.S. shipment volumes were dropping.

Thanks partly to its acquisition of non-asset truckload specialist Coyote Logistics, UPS is opening new routes into shippers' cross-border supply chains.

A new federal registration system for several types of transport operators isn't ready for prime time, but federal regulators are launching its “first phase.”

Transporation holding company Arcbest, the parent of ABF Freight, expanded its asset-light business by adding truckload broker Bear Transportation to fast-growing ABF Logistics.

Freight brokers are in a unique position to take advantage of the weak economy, BB&T Capital Markets says.

The third-largest U.S. trucking operator saw revenue decline 1 percent despite higher rates, more volume and added capacity, thanks to lower fuel surcharges.

After a flurry of acquisitions the past four years, XPO Logistics, the fastest-growing company in trucking and logistics, is going to take a breather to integrate backroom services and take hundreds of millions of dollars of cost out of its operations.

XPO Logistics’ pending purchase of less-than-truckload carrier Con-way is the latest sign that the lines between asset-light third-party logistics providers and asset-based motor carriers are blurring, XPO Chairman and CEO Bradley S. Jacobs said Monday.

The volume of U.S. freight handled by brokers increased 7.6 percent from a year ago in the second quarter, as brokers diversified services.

Cargo Chief's Abtin Hamidi says shippers can find truck capacity at the right price, if they know where to look. Web-based and mobile technology can hand them the keys.

Los Angeles-based Cargomatic has expanded its Uber-like technology for matching trucks and shipments to the tri-state market of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut after several months of testing.

C.H. Robinson reported higher net revenues on land and sea as shippers apparently turned to the largest U.S. logistics company to secure capacity in the second quarter. The acquisition of Freightquote last year contributed to higher net revenue and higher truckload and LTL volumes.

UPS reportedly is in talks to acquire fast-growing Coyote Logistics, as round after round of logistics acquisitions this year increase speculation about potential mergers.

The purchase of ReTrans, an intermodal and truck freight brokerage with more than $500 million in annual revenue, extends the reach of Kuehne + Nagel, the second-largest global 3PL, far beyond U.S. ports and into the nation's industrial heartland.

A continent-wide roadside truck inspection program may have inadvertently pushed up spot market truck rates last week, when the number of loads far outstripped the number of tractor-trailers available. Many truckers reportedly take time off during the annual inspection blitz.

Freight broker Total Quality Logistics added voice search technology to its Carrier Dashboard smartphone app, letting drivers talk, not type as they search for freight.

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would set national standards for shippers and third parties contracting or hiring trucking companies, complementing legislation in the House. Shippers and brokers want clarity, especially in courtrooms where they face negligent hiring claims.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide is priming its $330 million Global Forwarding division for faster growth in 2015, naming Mike Short president and opening new offices in Asia and Europe.

As truck driver pay moves up by double-digits, trucking operators need to look beyond a decades-old business model for new ways to attract, keep and satisfy drivers. Treating them better is step one, a trucking veteran says. Guaranteed salaries may be another.

U.S. shipment volumes and spending rose in April from March, but were down year-over-year, thanks to tough comparisons with a booming economy in 2014, Cass Information Systems said. The freight payment provider expects more growth ahead.

Fresh off the announcement of yet another acquisition, XPO Logistics’ hunger can’t be sated with CEO Bradley Jacobs eying more deals in Europe and North America.

For the first time in seven years, ArcBest Corporation posted a first-quarter profit, thanks in large part to competitive pricing in spite of diminishing volumes, the company said Monday.

In the latest of several major logistics acquisition, Echo Global Logistics acquired $561 million 3PL Command Transportation, bringing its total annual revenue within range of $2 billion.

Pennsylvania-based logistics company Kane is Able will open a dedicated distribution facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, to serve fast-growing dietary supplements maker Nutrabolt.

A bill introduced in the House of Representatives this week would establish national hiring standards for shippers, brokers and other parties contracting or using trucking companies.

Multimodal logistics operator XPO sees opportunities as well as challenges in the West Coast container pileup, as shippers struggle to move freight inland.

Shippers could see truck pricing 'skyrocket' as they scramble to move containers inland once the labor situation at U.S. West Coast ports is resolved, BB&T Capital Markets said.

Rising container volumes and pricing pushed up C.H. Robinson ocean forwarding revenue in late 2014, and the logistics operator is considering expansion in new trade lanes, particularly Asia to Europe.

Capacity constraints, particularly in its core U.S. truckload market, are pushing rates, revenue and profit higher for the largest U.S. logistics company.

Saia's $25 million purchase of LinkEx, an intermodal logistics firm with international and domestic U.S. business, reflects growing interest in global freight among U.S. LTL carriers.

After rising past $2 billion in revenue, non-asset Total Quality Logistics is expanding its physical network in North Carolina, opening an office in Durham.