Economy

MAT HD acquires Stemco brake business

LONGVIEW, Texas – Stemco and its parent company — EnPro Industries — have sold a Rome, Georgia brake business to MAT HD, a subsidiary of MAT Holdings. The sold business…

YTD truck sales match 2018 levels

TORONTO, Ont. – Canadians buyers accounted for 2,607 Class 8 truck sales in August, bringing year-to-date totals up to 22,295 units. The numbers essentially match the 22,301 Class 8 trucks sold by August 2018.

U.S. truck tonnage dips, but trend still positive

ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. for-hire truck tonnage remained volatile in August, dropping 3.2% on the heels of a 6.2% gain in July, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). The…

Trucking conditions moved positive in July

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trucking conditions in the U.S. improved slightly in July, with a reading just above neutral at 0.28. Lower diesel prices offset the effects of lower capacity utilization,…

Volvo commits to ‘changing the times’

DUBLIN, Va. -- If current build rates hold up, Volvo expects to see 311,000 new Class 8 trucks roll onto North American highways this year -- down from earlier estimates, but a natural consequence of the economy slowing down somewhat.

Truck and trailer dealer welcomes return to normal

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Stoops Freightliner and its network of truck and trailer dealers isn’t sensing that the drop in new equipment orders is anything to lose sleep over. Instead, Brian…

FTR offers steady economic outlook for trucking

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Spot rates are down, freight demand has slowed, and there’s been a surge in fleet bankruptcies in the U.S. Overall truckload rates are expected to be down 7% this year and down 1.3% in 2020. Avery Vise of FTR doesn't seem worried.

Truck and trailer orders normalizing, not crashing: FTR

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Class 8 truck orders have fallen sharply in recent months, but FTR forecasters aren’t sounding any alarms, and say the drop marks a return to more normal…

ATA argues against road tolls

ARLINGTON, Va. – The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has told a House subcommittee that the use of tolls to finance infrastructure construction and maintenance is inefficient, unsafe, and harmful to…

The new normal: Slow, steady growth

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – There’s little sign a recession is imminent, but economic growth will continue to be slow and steady. That was the projection from Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist with…

Truck driver shortage? Think again, says U.S. labor expert.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Cries of a looming -- or existing -- driver shortage are echoed on both sides of the border. They regularly emerge in employer surveys that identify trucking’s biggest challenges, and positions taken by industry lobby groups. Kristen Monaco of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't buy it.

STS to offer perspectives on economy, freight trends

The conference “will try to make sense of the roller coaster that Canadian shippers and carriers have experienced over the past couple of years”.

FedEx cut Amazon ties in U.S., but not in Canada

TORONTO, Ont. -- FedEx has terminated a business relationship with Amazon in the U.S., but the work with the e-commerce giant continues in Canada.

CTA unveils trucking wish list for federal election

TORONTO, Ont. -- Canada's federal election is officially underway, and the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) wants several trucking-related issues to be reflected in party platforms.

New weigh station to be constructed near Terrace, B.C.

TERRACE, B.C. – The Canadian government is investing $15 million to build a commercial vehicle inspection station on Hwy 16. The new station will be located east of Terrace, B.C.,…