Truckload

USA Truck’s profit and revenue fell by double-digits in the third quarter as it works to restructure operations and implement new technology.

Class 8 tractor orders in the U.S. rose 30 percent from September last month, but were 45 percent lower year-over-year, a sign truckers are still digesting a big increase in truck counts and trying to rebalance capacity.

U.S. Class 8 tractor registrations rose significantly in the first half of 2015, with trucking operators in the Midwest and South adding the lion's share of new vehicles, according to IHS Automotive. Those tractors are contributing to a capacity surplus where a shortage was once considered imminent. How long will the "capacity calm" last?

Long-time truckload profit leader Heartland Express lost some traction as lower shipping demand met higher truck capacity in the third quarter.

Swift Transportation is slowing its fleet expansion until demand catches up with capacity, the latest sign of the U.S. truckload industry preparing for less freight growth due to a slowing U.S. economy.

The third-largest U.S. truckload carrier increased total revenue and profit despite falling fuel surcharge revenue and tough comparisons with a booming year-ago quarter. Without a catalyst to speed the slow economy, the road ahead looks challenging.

Don't let the small drop in total revenue fool you: Werner Enterprises is doing very well in a less-than-robust truckload freight market.

In spite of lagging returns from its logistics segment, Knight Transportation posted another strong third quarter Wednesday, fueled by strong results in its trucking division and brokerage business.

A motor carrier cooperative formed in 2012 to acquire chassis and contribute them to regional pools is adding 750 new chassis to its inventory in the U.S. Gulf and South Atlantic.

Plummeting fuel surcharges took a bite out of the refrigerated transporter's total revenue, but strong dedicated and brokerage business helped build underlying profits, shore up weaker truckload unit in the third quarter.

A federal judge sentenced the former CFO of Arrow Trucking, Jonathan Moore, to 35 months in prison for his part in a fraudulent scheme that led to the company's shutdown in 2009.

For-hire truck tonnage picked up in September, after declining in August, although high inventories and the driver shortage worry American Trucking Associations economist Bob Costello.

Shipper fears of a "capacity crunch" have faded under a mountain of inventory, relaxed driver rules and lower overall demand for much of 2015. But today's "capacity calm" may not last long.

Nearly six years after Arrow Trucking suddenly shut down, former CEO Doug Pielsticker was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for tax evasion and fraud. His former CFO will be sentenced Oct. 16.

After two months of decline, the Cass Freight Index turned upward in September, with both shipment volumes and shipper spending on transportation rising toward a muted peak.

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.

Lower fuel prices and lower fuel surcharges are slowing the increase of freight shipping costs on both sides of the U.S. border or even reducing them, despite higher contract trucking rates.

Although most of the factors behind the drop in full-year earnings guidance by Swift Transportation last week were unique to Swift, trucking companies do face some broad challenges this fall.

Former Con-way executive joins USA Truck as the truckload carrier continues to build profitability.

Adding another year to an apprenticeship program for truck drivers will help both Werner Enterprises and military veterans. The truckload carrier sees a need for more apprenticeships to boost the pool of younger, experienced drivers.

Baltimore-based Absolute Worldwide Logistics acquired a web-based portal, shipmymachinery.com, to expand its specialized and heavy-weight shipping business.

Truck driver pay is rising higher, shippers are becoming more "driver friendly," but demographics make finding solutions to the shortage of qualified drivers difficult.

Mark Rourke has been named executive vice president and COO of Schneider, the second-largest truckload carrier in the U.S., as the company tries to position itself for upcoming government regulation and acquisitions.

A "wave" of digital tools and technology will help improve transportation and productivity, leading to an era of "abundant" capacity in the 2020s, economist and FTR senior consulant Noël Perry predicts.

The deadlines for federal rules requiring U.S. truck drivers to use electronic logging devices and prohibiting shippers, brokers and motor carriers to break safety rules have been pushed back a month until Oct. 30.

U.S. freight shippers enjoying an unusual period of “loose” capacity shouldn’t get complacent, speakers at the 2015 FTR Transportation Conference here warned.

The acquisition of regional package carrier Eastern Connections expands Dicom's footprint in the Northeast and complements the Montreal-based company's efforts to build a multimodal North American transportation network.

The addition of some over-the-road capacity is tempering contract rate hikes, Avondale Partners says. Low spot market truck rates and fuel prices may be helping, too.

U.S. freight volumes dropped in August, falling 4.6 percent year-over-year, while shipper spend on transportation slipped 8 percent, the latest Cass Freight Index shows.

European truckload carrier Waberer's International is expanding its fleet and revenue as cross-border trade among the 28 EU member nations increases.

Landstar continued to make historic gains in freight volume this summer, adding trucks to capture more freight and more market share from competitors. Revenue per load, however, dropped, thanks to lower fuel prices and poorer utilization of trucks.

The steep drop in fuel prices year-over-year and over the summer is driving fuel surcharges down, reducing overall spot market truck rates and putting pressure on intermodal pricing, too. DAT saw spot truck rates drop by a penny last week, although line-haul rates were unchanged, thanks to lower surcharges.

Crime-tracking CargoNet expects a surge in freight theft in the U.S. over the Labor Day weekend, and reports cargo crime is rising in 2015.

The acquisition of three companies over the past year, the latest being Stagecoach Cartage in El Paso, gives Roadrunner Transportation Systems greater access to freight on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border.

Truckers buying diesel fuel in the U.S. must think they've entered a timewarp, with the average U.S. diesel price tumbling by $1.30 per gallon over the past year to $2.51 per gallon, a price not seen since 2009. Oil markets proved volatile this week, but experts say oversupply is likely to keep a cap on crude and fuel prices for some time to come.

The return of company founder C.L. Werner as chairman and CEO will help the fifth-largest U.S. truckload carrier map a long-term route, as president and COO Derek Leathers is groomed for a bigger role.

The brewer of Budweiser is greening its St. Louis-based truck fleet, replacing diesel models with CNG-powered tractors that will haul 31 million cases of beer this fall. The fleet conversion is part of a long-term plan to cut logistics-related carbon emissions 15 percent by 2017.

Mixed economic messages and political uncertainty put shippers and truckers on a bumpy road in the second half of 2015, speakers said during a JOC webinar. Although truck capacity is "relatively abundant" and fuel is cheap, truck rates are still rising, and shippers are eyeing new safety rules that could tighten truck capacity. It all depends on the economy.

Lower fuel prices are putting more trucks on the road, helping to keep a cap on spot market truck rates, DAT Solutions said. Van rates dropped in the last week, while refrigerated and flatbed rates remained the same.