Economy

Agropur to outsource milk hauling in Quebec, Nova Scotia

Agropur Cooperative has announced plans to sell its bulk milk hauling operations in Quebec to companies whose core business is transporting liquid food products. It will also discontinue its milk…

Mullen Group buys Bandstra Transportation Systems

Mullen Group has announced it has acquired the Bandstra Group of Companies, including Bandstra Transportation Systems and Babine Truck & Equipment. The deal closed April 16, and adds 180 power…

Strike shuts production at Volvo’s New River Valley plant

Workers at Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley plant in Dublin, Va., have gone on strike. “The UAW is disappointed that Volvo Truck has failed to present a substantial offer by…

Canadian truck fleets record $7.9 billion in 2019 profits

Canada had just over 134,000 for-hire trucking companies on the road in 2019, realizing a collective operating profit of $7.9 billion. The findings emerge in Statistics Canada’s for-hire trucking survey,…

Trailer orders rise in March, 2021 order boards nearly full

U.S. trailer orders rose 6.4% in March to 27,400 units, according to preliminary data from FTR. The industry analyst says a few large dry van fleets increased 2021 orders, while…

Ontario owner-operators face insurance disadvantage, broker says

Owner-operators may face an unfair disadvantage when it comes to securing commercial auto insurance, an Ontario broker suggests. In Ontario, individual truck drivers who decide to start their own trucking…

NDP member calls for truck insurance relief

An NDP member of Ontario’s provincial legislature has introduced a broad-reaching motion that calls on steps to help owner-operators with surging insurance costs and an underlying driver shortage. “[Premier] Doug…

Truckers fear losses amid Montreal port strike

A partial strike set to start Wednesday by Port of Montreal dockworkers is set to affect shipping in North America. Longshoremen will work regular shifts Monday to Friday without overtime…

Trucking conditions near all-time high: FTR

Trucking conditions in the U.S. improved further in February, with FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index ticking up from 10.37 in January to 11.23. That made February the best month for truckers…

Ontario extends renewal deadlines for carrier products

Ontario is reinstating renewal requirements for certain carrier products, the Ministry of Transportation announced. To ensure everyone has a fair amount of time to renew, the province has extended the…

Used truck prices surge in first quarter

Used truck tractor prices were up 9% year over year in the first quarter of 2021, Ritchie Bros. reports in its latest used equipment market trends summary. Vocational truck prices…

Business environment for heavy-duty trucks has never been better: ACT

ACT Research reports the business environment for heavy-duty trucks “is about as good as any we have seen in 35 years of monitoring heavy-duty market conditions.” The list of things…

GI Partners to buy Orbcomm

Orbcomm has been acquired by GI Partners, a U.S. company that invests in data infrastructure businesses, for US$1.1 billion. The electronic logging device (ELD) manufacturer says the acquisition will afford…

Express Mondor acquires Dubois fleet, brokerage

Express Mondor is acquiring Les Établissements Dubois Ltée – a fleet with more than 25 trucks and 75 trailers serving the entertainment industry and raw material businesses. Les Établissements Dubois…

Record-setting demand for Class 8 trucks over past six months

Class 8 truck orders continued to be strong in March, setting an unprecedented six-month streak of order levels above 40,000 units. Preliminary figures from FTR show March orders were down…