Economy

Fastfrate Group growing

WOODBRIDGE, Ont. – The Fastfrate Group of Companies has announced an expansion and new service offerings, including a new 80-truck contract for its CDI container transport division. The fleet will…

Trailer orders continue to be strong

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trailer orders totaled 27,500 units in March, according to preliminary data from FTR. That reflects a typical seasonal decline, down 16% from February, but orders remained historically…

VW shows interest in majority Navistar stake

MUNICH, Germany – Volkswagen is showing interest in acquiring a majority of Navistar “at some point,” building on a minority stake that has already been secured. Volkswagen Truck and Bus acquired 16.6% of Navistar in 2016, and has already committed to developing a joint big bore powertrain for the North American market, as well as a medium-duty electric powertrain. Now Volkswagen's commercial arm is also preparing for a potential stock listing as it looks to take on other global manufacturers including Daimler and Volvo.

Hiway Refrigeration acquisition to bolster western footprint

PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. – Hiway Refrigeration announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Calgary, Alta.,-based Eskimo Refrigeration. Eskimo provides sales and aftermarket support in Western Canada for…

Transportation, warehousing vacancies up

OTTAWA, Ont. – The number of unfilled jobs in transportation and warehousing increased 43.5% in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to the same period a year earlier, Statistics…

Fleet reps tout U.S. tax cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives from three carriers belonging to the American Trucking Associations (ATA) visited the White House Rose Garden today, touting tax relief under the Tax Cuts and Jobs…

Intermodal volumes on the rise

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Intermodal volumes and related rates are on the rise this year, buoyed by a strong U.S. economy, but a shortage of rail capacity is also pushing more of the freight onto trucks, FTR Transportation Intelligence reports. “We’re still expecting healthy growth in rates, even in the back half of the year,” said senior transportation analyst Todd Tanausky, during a webinar on the topic.

Canadian spot market load volumes surging

TORONTO, Ont. – Canadian spot market load volumes are soaring, as shown by TransCore’s Loadlink data. The year has started with high truckload volumes in all Canadian regions, TransCore reported,…

NAFTA deal could be imminent: Guajardo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – While there will be no new NAFTA deal this week, Mexico’s Secretary of the Economy says there should be one by May. Ildefonso Guajardo is meeting with…

Acquisition strengthens Ryder’s last mile delivery presence

MIAMI, Fla. – Ryder System has announced that it purchased MXD Group, an e-commerce fulfillment provider with a national network of facilities and last mile delivery capabilities. The deal closed…

Fleets scrambling to secure Class 8 build slots

Preliminary North American Class 8 orders totaled 46,300 units according to FTR, marking the third best month ever. They came in 15% above February’s tally and are up 103% year-over-year.

TFI buys Normandin Transit

MONTREAL, Que. – TFI International has agreed to purchase Normandin Transit. The company says the move bolsters its cross-border LTL and truckload services. Based in Napierville, Que., Normandin has grown…

Transportation, warehousing wages climbing

OTTAWA, Ont. – Workers in Canada’s transportation and warehousing sector saw weekly earnings rise 2.4% in January when compared to the same month a year ago, Statistics Canada reports.

Celadon to restate prior financials, likely to be delisted

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Celadon Group announced yesterday that its financial statements for the fiscal year 2016 and the quarters ended Sept. 30, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2016 remain under internal…

Normandin Transit sells to TFI International

MONTREAL, Que. – TFI International has purchased Normandin Transit, one of the highest-profile fleets in Quebec. The Napierville operation had grown to 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers since being founded in 1988, and offered LTL and truckload services across North America. It will now run as a unit within TFI’s LTL operating segment but will continue to be led by siblings Danielle and André Normandin.