Truckload

Diesel prices across the United States rose 2.4 cents in the week ending Oct. 24, increasing for the second straight week as crude oil prices rose to their highest point in nearly three months.

Refrigerated trucker Marten Transport increased its net profit 15.5 percent to $6.3 million in the third quarter on higher operating revenue, volume and surcharges.

Truckload giant Landstar System increased net profit 38.5 percent to $30.2 million on a 9.8 percent increase in revenue to $684 million in the third quarter.

Truckload carrier USA Truck rejected merger talks with larger rival Celadon Group despite falling back into the red with a $4.3 million third-quarter loss.

Daimler Trucks North America will create 350 jobs and a second shift at its Portland, Ore., truck plant as it ramps up production of heavy-duty Class 8 tractors.

Diesel prices across the United States rose 8 cents in the week ending Oct. 17, increasing at the fastest pace in 28 weeks as crude oil prices fell amid fears over the European debt crisis.

Shortly after buying a stake in rival USA Truck, Celadon Group is purchasing the dry van assets of FFE Transpo

Truckload giant Swift Transportation increased total revenue 13.9 percent to $863.8 million in the third quarter, reporting a $30.9 million net profit for the period.

Werner Enterprises increased net profit 22 percent from a year ago to $29.6 million in the third quarter on a 10 percent increase in total revenue to $509.6 million.

The unsteady state of the economy and proposed changes to truck driver hours of service rules top a list of critica

Spot market volume on TransCore’s network of load boards rose 10 percent in September from August and 47 percent from a year ago, a sign of stronger demand.

Russell Gerdin, the son of a truck driver who founded one of the most profitable companies in trucking, died Oct. 15. He was 70 years old.

Want job security? Look for work as a driver recruiter at a truckload carrier.

A few years ago, shippers might have considered driver retention a carrier problem.

The Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index fell 1 percent in September, as truck industry fuel purchasing fell back in an indication trucking activity dropped over the summer and into the early fall.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services stayed well ahead of a slowing economy in the third quarter, increasing its profit 32 percent from a year ago to $68.7 million.

Celadon Group purchased a 6.3 percent stake in rival truckload carrier USA Truck for $4.7 million, raising the prospect of a merger between the competitors.

Diesel prices across the United States fell 2.8 cents in the ending Oct. 10, dropping down to under $4 per gallon in all regions for the first time in six weeks as crude oil prices crept upward.

For-hire truckload carriers increased their revenue 10 percent in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2010, according to a TransCore survey.

Net orders for heavy-duty Class 8 trucks rose in September, posting month-to-month and year-over-year gains, according to two vehicle research firms.

Fewer truckload carriers are planning to add capacity next year than had planned to do so six months ago, according to a survey by Transport Capital Partners.

Diesel prices across the United States dropped 3.7 cents in the week ending Oct. 3., hitting a 30-week low as crude oil prices fell to their lowest point in eight weeks.

More than two-thirds of truckload carriers plan more use of accessorial charges, adding income from shipping fees to higher rates, Transport Capital Partners said.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide acquired Timco Worldwide, one of the largest melon sourcing and distribution companies in North America and Latin America, for an undisclosed sum.

The month-to-month decline in for-hire truck tonnage slowed in August, and tonnage levels rose more strongly from a year ago compared with July.

Flatbed trucking rates are on track to rise 6 percent this year after rising 6 percent on average last year, according to investment research firm Stifel Nicolaus.

Shipments of commercial trailers reached heights in August not seen since 2007, but cancelled orders rose too, and the order rate slowed from previous months.

There may be more of a peak in trucking’s peak shipping season than expected this year, according to Morgan Stanley Research.

Good used trucks are getting hard to find. Sales of medium- and heavy-duty used trucks dropped 3 percent from July to August, according to ACT Research.

The South Carolina State Ports Authority launched a voluntary program to help truck owners replace older trucks with newer, cleaner rigs on Thursday.

The nation’s wealthiest transportation mogul didn’t make her money on trucks, trains or planes, but by operating barges and distributing books.

Shippers hoping that truck rate increases might fall in the face of an uncertain economy are likely to be disappointed, according to FTR Associates.

Trucking and logistics company Cargo Transportation Services emerged from bankruptcy last week after reorganizing and attracting a new equity partner.

TNT Express linked its Chinese day-definite truck service with its Southeast Asian trucking network, which includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Terminal truck manufacturer Capacity of Texas is expanding its own distribution capacity, adding 13 new dealers in the U.S., the company said Thursday.

Truckload demand is stronger than the general economy, with TransCore Freight Solution’s spot market index climbing 47 percent from a year ago in August.

Moody’s Investors Services raised its ratings outlook for intermodal trucking giant J.B. Hunt Transport Services from stable to positive, based on strong earnings.

Truckload giant Schneider National launched a new division this month to support energy companies extracting oil and natural gas through hydraulic fracturing.

Swift Transportation recently won a dedicated carriage contract from Wal-Mart Stores that will generate between $60 million and $80 million in additional revenue.

Weakening economic conditions haven’t slowed trucking giant Landstar System, which says it gained truckload freight and raised rates in July and August.