Economy

ECONOMIC WATCH: Class 8 orders surge as fleets lock in 2021 build slots

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – November was the third best month ever for Class 8 truck orders at 52,600 units, according to preliminary data from FTR. It was the strongest month since…

Truck arrivals fell slightly last week

OTTAWA, Ont. – Just under 94,500 truck drivers entered the country during the week of Nov. 23-29, the Canada Border Services Agency said Tuesday. That represented a drop of 1.2%…

Trucking rate increases expected to hover under 5%: Survey

TORONTO, Ont. – Members of Canada’s trucking industry believe rate increases will sit below 5% in 2021 as the economy emerges from the first year of Covid-19, according to the…

U.S. aftermarket parts sales recovering, analyst says

MANHASSET, N.Y. – Aftermarket parts sales appear to be climbing upward in the U.S. after eight consecutive monthly declines, according to Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting’s Aftermarket Sales Leading Indicator. The…

ECONOMIC WATCH: Canadian spot market remains strong in November

TORONTO, Ont. – The third week of November saw the highest weekly load totals in Canada’s spot market since the start of the pandemic, according to data from Loadlink Technologies.

Free shipping? There is no such thing

TORONTO, Ont. — The trucking industry is pushing back on the notion of “free shipping”, calling it a marketing ploy and an insult to those working in the sector. “Let’s…

Alberta boosts access to trucking jobs

EDMONTON, Alta. – Alberta has announced two programs to make driver training more affordable and less time consuming, thereby improving access to trucking jobs. The $3-million Driving Back to Work…

Truck arrivals drop 1.8%

OTTAWA, Ont. – The number of truck drivers entering Canada dropped 1.8% to 117,630 during the week of Nov. 16-22 from 119,740 in the comparable period last year, the Canada…

Andy Transport relocates terminal

SAINT-LAURENT, Que. – Andy Transport is relocating its head office from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield to Saint-Zotique, Que., answering needs associated with a growing business. “When we purchased and moved into the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield…

Operational costs of trucking fell in 2019

ARLINGTON, Va. – There was a significant decrease in the operational costs of trucking last year, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) said Tuesday. “The average marginal cost per mile…

ECONOMIC WATCH: Truck tonnage slides in October

ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. for-hire truck tonnage dropped 6.3% in October, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), and was down 8.7% year-over-year. The sharp drop came after a 5.7%…

Why carriers could see double-digit rate increases in 2021

TORONTO, Ont. – Trucking providers should expect to see continued strong market conditions into 2021, when 10% contract rate increases could be the norm as a lack of drivers keeps…

Freight’s carbon footprint soaring

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Freight is one of the next frontiers for climate action because it accounts for an increasing share of the transportation sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada,…

U.S.-Canada truck freight rises 1.9%

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Truck freight between U.S. and Canada was worth US$28.4 billion in September, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) said Friday. That was up 1.9% from August,…

XL Specialized expanding production capacity

MANCHESTER, Iowa – Specialty trailer manufacturer XL Specialized Trailers is planning a US$6- to $7-million expansion, increasing its production capacity by more than 30%. The expansion will begin in late…