ECONOMIC TRUCKING TRENDS: March spot market rates hit two-year high as shippers brace for toughest conditions on record

Spot market rates posted their strongest March in two years, but can they keep pace with rapidly increasing diesel prices? So far, they have been, according to the latest data.

High diesel prices could hit consumers harder than gas costs — for months

High diesel prices continue to ripple through the economy and put pressure on consumers — with no end in close sight — even as a shaky ceasefire in the Middle…

Urban Upgrade: Volvo VNR redefines regional haul expectations

Regional haul tractors were never meant to be the most luxurious trucks on the road. Why bother with high-end styling when they’re going to get banged up anyways? And it’s…

ECONOMIC TRUCKING TRENDS: Trucking conditions best in four years, while spot market rates continue to rip

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index reached its strongest reading in four years, but it may not last, the industry forecaster warns, as higher diesel prices are not yet fully factored in.

Sarnia, Ont., border crossing surpasses Ambassador Bridge in commercial truck traffic

The Crown corporation that manages several international bridges in Ontario says a border crossing in Sarnia has overtaken the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor as the busiest for commercial traffic.  The…

ECONOMIC TRUCKING TRENDS: Spot rates surge, Class 8 orders dip but remain ‘exceptionally strong’

What’s rising faster, the cost of diesel or spot market rates? Both are increasing rapidly. And Class 8 orders pulled back in March from a record February but remained “exceptionally…

Volvo touts fuel efficiency edge as orders jump despite soft freight

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) is betting rising diesel prices will accelerate adoption of its latest fuel-efficient models, even as freight markets remain soft. Speaking at a press event to…

Teamsters, DHL reach tentative deal, averting strike

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and DHL have reached a tentative four-year agreement, avoiding a nationwide strike that could have disrupted parcel and freight operations across the U.S. The deal,…

ECONOMIC TRUCKING TRENDS: Spot rates continue to climb as market tightens

The spot market is suddenly on fire, and one analyst says it’s the first time in about four years that it would be considered tight. That’s good news for truckers…

How Facility Association managed trucking oversubscriptions

Ontario’s 2023 changes making direct compensation for property damage coverage (DCPD) optional meant Facility Association (FA) “unwillingly [became] the underpriced market of choice for longhaul trucks carrying only liability and accident benefits,”…

Canada Post adamantly denies Driver Inc. links, faces pushback from MP committee, CTA

Canada Post’s top executives repeatedly and unequivocally denied any connection to the controversial Driver Inc. model during a tense appearance before the House of Commons transport committee but faced sustained…

ECONOMIC TRUCKING TRENDS: Trailer orders drop sharply, spot market reflects rising diesel costs

Trailer orders disappointed in February, dropping sharply from December-January totals and reflecting ongoing concerns about the freight market. And while spot market rates continue to improve, they’re growing more slowly…

B.C. RCMP discover the unbelievable during truck enforcement blitz

A commercial vehicle enforcement blitz in Burnaby, B.C., sidelined more than half of the trucks inspected, with officers uncovering a range of serious safety violations — including a fuel cap…

Hendrickson launches Watchman wheel-end sensing system

Hendrickson is expanding its push into connected trailer technology with the launch of its Watchman wheel-end sensing system, unveiled at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting. The new system…

Aperia expands tire inflation system to steer axle

Aperia Technologies is expanding its automatic tire inflation system to the steer axle, addressing what the company says is one of the most safety-critical and frequently underinflated positions on a…