Economy

Owen Sound ferry to start special service

OWEN SOUND, Ont. – The ferry that connects Tobermory with South Baymouth will begin an “essential transportation” service in June under conditions set by Transport Canada, its operator said…

Geotab dashboard to track post Covid-19 recovery

TORONTO, Ont. – The road to a post-Covid-19 recovery begins as businesses open their doors, and Geotab is showing what that means to the trucking industry at a glance. The…

CTA continues push for payroll tax support, driver meal deductions

OTTAWA, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) continued its call yesterday for government help with payroll taxes and truck driver meal costs, during an appearance before the House of…

ECONOMIC WATCH: April Class 8 orders plummet 46% from March

COLUMBUS, Ind. – Class 8 net orders plummeted to 4,100 units in April, according to preliminary data from ACT Research, down 46% from March and 72% year-over-year. “April represents the…

ECONOMIC WATCH: Survey confirms Covid-19’s negative impact on trucking

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Covid-19 pandemic already had a considerable negative impact on the U.S. trucking industry, according to a survey released Tuesday. The poll of nearly 5,100 people…

Truck crossings continue to fall

OTTAWA, Ont. – The number of truck drivers entering Canada dropped almost 36% during the week of April 27 to May 3, compared to the same period last year, the…

Alberta truck fleets face double hit of Covid-19, low oil

EDMONTON, Alta. – Canada’s trucking industry was sent reeling by Covid-19, but the economic fallout of a pandemic has added insult to injury in Alberta. This year was supposed to…

Yokohama ends Covid-19 shutdown at truck tire plant

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Yokohama Corporation of North America has reopened its plant in West Point, Miss., which had been silenced as a precautionary measure in the early weeks…

Cummins engine sales down 19% in Q1

COLUMBUS, Ind. – Cummins engine sales were down 19% in the first quarter of 2020, with on-highway engine revenues down 17%, and the off-highway segment dropping 23%. And the manufacturer…

Trucking coalition calls for help with payroll taxes, meal deductions

TORONTO, Ont. – A coalition of associations representing fleets, owner-operators, unionized drivers and more is calling on Canada’s federal government to help truck drivers and trucking companies who are…

Mullen Group lays off 1,000 as ‘wants’ economy disappears

OKOTOKS, Alta. – As the “wants” economy has evaporated due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mullen Group has taken drastic measures, including laying off 1,000 employees. While reporting its Q1 earnings,…

Marine Atlantic drops fuel surcharge, updates Covid-19 protocols

ST JOHN’S, Nfld. — Marine Atlantic is reducing its fuel surcharge to 13%, down 5% from previous levels, effective immediately. “We use a fuel hedging strategy which protects customers…

Truck fleets report plunging loads, layoffs amid Covid-19

TORONTO, Ont. – Trucking is identified as an essential service, but Canada’s trucking industry is under immense economic pressure in the face of Covid-19 – leading to plunging revenues, layoffs,…

TFI International posts strong Q1, reacts to economic slowdown

MONTREAL, Que. – TFI International achieved record first quarter operating income of $118.5 million, a 13% increase year-over-year, but has begun seeing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on its…

ECONOMIC WATCH: ATRI data show see-saw truck activity

ATLANTA, Ga. –  There was a spike in truck activity from early February into March in six U.S. states, but demand has since fallen, the American Transportation Research Institute…