Economy

P.E.I. employers get WCB premium relief

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of P.E.I. has deferred employer assessment due dates until Sept. 30 because of Covid-19. Employers will not have to pay WCB…

Teamsters denounces revised HoS rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Teamsters has denounced the new Hours-of-Service (HoS) rules released by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), warning they would lead to reduced road safety. Secretary…

ECONOMIC WATCH: April trailer orders set historic low

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – April trailer orders plunged to 300 units, the lowest level in the modern era, according to preliminary data from FTR. Orders are from U.S. manufacturers, and include…

BMO predicts tighter capacity, higher rates to come

TORONTO, Ont. – Analysts with BMO Transportation Finance expect shippers to hold the power over trucking rates through the middle of this year, but predict that dropping carrier capacity could…

Trucks-only ferry service starts Friday

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Northumberland Ferries has announced that it will resume service between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., on Friday, but only trucks will be allowed aboard for now.

U.S. updates HoS rules, offering more flexibility to drivers

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  After analyzing feedback received over the past two years, the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has updated the Hours-of-Service (HoS) rules that officials say will offer…

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…

6,800 truck driver jobs lost in April

OTTAWA, Ont. – About 6,800 truck driving jobs were eliminated this April, representing a drop of 2.3% compared to the previous month, Trucking HR Canada reports. While employment across the…

Block Driver Inc. fleets from Covid-19 loan program, says CTA

TORONTO, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is looking to block fleets that use the Driver Inc. payment scheme from accessing new bridge loans for large companies that exhaust…

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…

Ottawa fast-tracks hiring of temporary foreign workers

OTTAWA, Ont. – The federal government has announced a new policy, which will drastically reduce the time it takes for a temporary foreign worker to start a new job. The…

Quebec fleet focuses on recruiting after Covid-19 layoffs

MONTREAL, Que. – Transport Herve Lemieux wasn’t the only fleet that had to temporarily lay off employees because of the economic impact of Covid-19. But the upturn didn’t take too…

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…

Covid-19 layoffs won’t answer every labor need: CTEA speaker

MONTREAL, Que. — The day the pandemic was declared, the trucking industry’s longstanding concern about a labor shortage was suddenly relegated to the background. However, finding workers in the skilled…