Business Management

ECONOMIC WATCH: Shippers saw best conditions ever in March

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – U.S. shippers enjoyed favorable market conditions in March, with an FTR Shippers Conditions Index reading of 19.7 – more than double February’s reading. (Chart: FTR) That reflected…

Freight indicators suggest the worst is in trucking’s rearview mirror

TORONTO, Ont. – The worst of trucking conditions wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic may be in the rearview mirror, but the recovery could be choppy. In its most recent Commercial…

Prepare for VUCA when managing the supply chain

Although the term VUCA was coined in 1987 by the U.S. Army War College at the height of the Cold War, it hasn’t been in common usage. And thank goodness…

ECONOMIC WATCH: Canadian spot market likely bottomed in April

TORONTO, Ont. – Canada’s spot market load volumes took a dive in April, with overall load volumes on Loadlink down 56% from March and 38% year-over-year. But TransCore Link Logistics…

Business groups want Canada, U.S. to collaborate on Covid-19 response

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A coalition of 27 groups representing businesses and communities in the U.S. and Canada today issued a joint statement calling for a unified approach to managing the…

Truck driver pay climbed in 2019: ATA

ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. fleets paid drivers nearly US$6,000 more, including bonuses, in 2019 than they did in 2017, according to a Driver Compensation Study conducted by the American Trucking…

ECONOMIC WATCH: Trucking conditions nosedived in March

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trucking conditions deteriorated in March, marking the start of negative Trucking Conditions Index readings that will likely lead into the worst quarter on record, FTR reports. (Chart:…

OOIDA pushes for greater broker transparency

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to improve broker transparency through greater enforcement of existing rules. “Brokers have…

ECONOMIC WATCH: Truck tonnage plummets most in 26 years

ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. for-hire truck tonnage plummeted 12.2% in April, according to the latest data from the American Trucking Associations (ATA). “April’s monthly decline was the largest in 26…

18 Wheels Logistics expands in B.C.

DELTA, B.C. – 18 Wheels Logistics opened a new 70,000 sq.-ft. facility in Delta, B.C. May 15, offering warehousing, trucking, co-packing and RFID scanning capabilities. The company told Today’s Trucking…

Freight conditions are tough, but are brokers really to blame?

While truckers are widely being feted as heroic frontline workers by a suddenly adoring public, there’s a growing sense they’re being taken advantage of within the industry by opportunistic or…

ECONOMIC WATCH: Trucking has likely bottomed, but recovery will be slow

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trucking conditions likely bottomed in mid-April, but a speedy recovery isn’t anticipated. That was the takeaway from a Mid-Year Economic Outlook webinar held today by industry forecaster…

Diversification helps Titanium maintain Q1 revenue, profitability

BOLTON, Ont. – Titanium Transportation reported its second strongest first quarter for revenue, generating $44.3 million despite economic challenges late in the quarter wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Net…

ECONOMIC WATCH: 2021 to be ‘transition year’ for economy, CV demand

COLUMBUS, Ind. – In its North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook, ACT Research predicts 2021 will be a transition year for global economies and North American commercial vehicle demand. “Without clear…

Trucking employment dives in latest signs of Covid-19’s impact on industry

Skyrocketing unemployment. Cratering freight volumes. Plummeting spot market freight rates. Record-low Class 8 truck orders. These are just a few of the new realities the North American trucking industry is…