Truckload Freight

After a record year of freight demand in 2021, carriers playing in the spot market benefited from a blank check when naming rates. The federal stimulus enabled consumers to pay […]

KLLM Transport Services, one of the nation’s largest temperature-controlled carriers, on Thursday announced its acquisition of Quest Global.

June shipments data from Cass shows the fourth decline in six months from 2021 levels.

FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller assesses the potential for a “great purge” in trucking fleets.

FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes the bullwhip effect on the current retail and trucking environments.

A fireside chat with consultant Paul Estrada discussing how small carriers can maximize relationships to get freight from large enterprise shippers.

FreightWaves SONAR data can be indispensable, particularly in this environment.

FreightWaves presents the Small Fleet & Owner-Operator Summit on Wednesday, June 15.

Capacity increased again in May, according to the Logistics Managers’ Index. However, the transportation market stabilized in the back half of the month.

Schneider announced the acquisition of deBoer Transportation, a regional dedicated fleet of 160 power units.

This week: Schneider is awarded another Ride of Pride truck from Freightliner, Shell Rotella SuperRigs gets ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary and Suttons Tankers wraps a truck to honor Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee.

Heartland Express made its first acquisition since 2019 with its purchase of Smith Transport, a Pennsylvania-based truckload carrier.

This week: The Women in Trucking Association honors influential women; ANL aims to rehabilitate the Australian turtle population; and C.H. Robinson recognizes its top-quality carriers.

Truckload carrier C.R. England suffered a data breach last fall and this week informed its customers of the potential impact.

The three brothers who own Stan Koch Trucking split into factions years ago, but a court case settles the amount that two of them will need to pay.

The Small Fleet & Owner-Operator Summit takes place on June 15, 2022.

FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes truckload contract rates and where they may be headed.

Freight demand trends in a softening market continue to be bifurcated with large fleets remaining unscathed so far.

This week: Trailer Bridge and ATS International donate to Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico, UPS makes $38,000 in donations to Down Syndrome Alabama and MSC moves Operation Smile medical supplies.

FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes the continuing decrease in truckload rates for dry van loads.

Freight data from payments management platform Cass showed April volume declines were worse than normal seasonal trends.

The company beat analysts’ expectations in its first-quarter financial results and named a new head of its brokerage services operation.

The executive envisions a “connected ecosystem” where all capacity and shipments move simultaneously and in real time.

FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes the impact of rising diesel costs on the spot market and the trucking industry.

This week: Pilot donates $100,000 to Hire Heroes USA; Scrubblade becomes a sponsor of the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund; and TravelCenters of America starts taking nominations for its trucker awards.

Truckload carrier U.S. Xpress turned in a quarter that was roughly breakeven, but some of the numbers from its Variant initiative deteriorated significantly.

Trucking executives at large fleets acknowledged a weakening spot market during the first-quarter earnings season but their ties to the contract market give them confidence.

Werner Enterprises continues to see solid contractual rate increases. However, it warned that newly minted carriers dependent on the spot market are likely in trouble.

Craig Fuller explains the impact of higher diesel prices on the U.S. economy and consumers.

On an earnings call with analysts, Covenant Logistics execs talked about the strong quarterly performance but noted that costs beyond fuel continue to rise.

Schneider beat estimates and raised full-year expectations Thursday. Management has been “encouraged” by contractual rate renewals so far this year.

truckload carrier Covenant Logistics had record-breaking net income for the first quarter, with improved operating ratios in its key trucking segments.

This week: St. Christopher reports its 2022 charitable progress, Operation Lifesaver delivers funds to 11 states and FedEx partners with Social Motion for Autism Acceptance Month.

Truckload carrier Heartland Express beat first-quarter expectations Thursday.

Knight-Swift Transportation lays out a thesis showing how large carriers will navigate a potential downturn considerably better than small fleets.

P.A.M. Transportation Services saw significant growth in its truckload and brokerage units during the first quarter.

Truckload carrier Marten set several records in its quarterly earnings report, and its operating ratio net of fuel surcharges was one of the strongest numbers. But its labor costs were up significantly.

On its first-quarter call with analysts, management from J.B. Hunt said demand indications from customers have been strong. The path is likely not as easy for smaller players in the space.

Cowen analyst lowers earnings estimates for truckers as data showing a loosening market mounts.

Shelley Simpson of J.B. Hunt will be the industry keynote speaker at The Future of Supply Chain.

Daniel Schilling, VP at carrier Fraley & Schilling, talks with FreightWaves’ Joe Antoshak about flatbed driver recruiting at the Enterprise Fleet Summit.

March data from Cass shows a deceleration in shipment growth and a higher chance of a freight recession, although “it is too early to call.”

FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller explains the boom and bust cycle of the trucking industry.

Attend the FreightWaves Enterprise Fleet Summit on Wednesday, April 13!

With record inventories building and bottlenecks easing is deflation next?

FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes methods to generate more revenue in a trucking downturn.

Concerns on declining demand and falling freight rates prompted Bank of America to issue ratings downgrades for multiple transportation stocks.

FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes the current costs of trucking.

Venerable index gets shellacked as freight issues fall hard.

FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller provides further analysis regarding the decline in the freight market.

Getting paid for getting drivers on board is the economic value proposition of the Ambassador program.

Craig Fuller analyzes the state of the U.S. truckload market.

Financial technology platform Outgo emerges from stealth with a vertical banking solution that automates bookkeeping functions for carriers.

Higher diesel prices also mean higher costs for empty miles.

This week: Pilot announces details of its three-year remodeling plans; the Women Automotive Network releases diversity survey data; and Fayetteville State University honors successful supply chain interns.

He couldn’t pull off the impossible, but he has made shareholders significantly richer in the process.

The company will become a stand-alone LTL carrier in North America.

Most of the 155 employees there are working remotely after being evacuated to the west, co-founder says.

A group of carriers and logistics providers has formed to raise money for the people of Ukraine.

The company says its U.S.-based agency with eastern Ukraine operations faces severe disruptions due to fighting in the region.

This week: Phillips 66 employees mark Black History Month, and Bendix and Amazon support STEM programs in the Midwest.

Truckload carriers continue to pay up for drivers. Dry van carrier Cargo Transporters announced another increase to its pay package.

Truckload rates have plateaued and may head down in the second half, Miller says. There is more runway for LTL increases, however.

Refrigerated carrier Hirschbach announced the acquisition of John Christner Trucking. The combination will form one of the nation’s largest temperature-controlled fleets.

U.S. Xpress expects freight demand to stay strong in the first half of 2022. The trajectory from there could hinge on inflation.

The Variant initiative is not yet showing signs of turning the company around.

The LTL segment remains a work in progress, but analysts are confident that Jacobs & Co. can turn it around.

“There is an urgent demand for new and innovative ways to increase visibility and efficiencies in the supply chain and improve driver experience, and this investment from our new and existing partners is going to power us to fill that need,” says Platform Science co-founder and CEO Jack Kennedy.

Werner Enterprises beat fourth-quarter expectations and announced plans to grow revenue by 10% on average over the next five years.

Nearly a year and a half into a tight truck market and carriers continue to raise driver wages. Midwest Carriers and CFI are the latest to announce increases.

Schneider provided a better-than-expected earnings outlook for 2022 on Thursday. The company also raised margin targets in two key segments.

The truckload carrier’s OR is one of the best in the industry but it’s being done on a smaller base of business.

Truckload carriers have been raising pay for 18 months now to meet heightened demand. But when this trucking cycle cools, don’t expect wages to follow in lockstep.

A lack of restroom access for drivers still plagues the trucking industry.

Voie, the group’s founder, still plans to retire in July 2023.

Freight broker Landstar closes 2021 with another beat-and-raise quarter. Demand has yet to buck normal seasonal trends, indicating the first quarter will be strong as well.

Knight-Swift Transportation reported another big quarterly result Wednesday. However, it appears the stretch of rapid growth will moderate as the comps have stiffened.

Marten’s labor and purchased transportation costs were higher in 2021 but were more than offset by rising revenue.

Management from the nation’s largest flatbed operator, Daseke, says the demand backlog extends for “the foreseeable future.”

Heartland Express announced 2021 was its best year since going public. Fourth-quarter results were in line with consensus.

P.A.M. Transportation Services finished 2021 on a high note, posting another large earnings beat during the fourth quarter.

KLLM Transport Services is the latest carrier to announce a historic pay increase for drivers.

December data from Cass Information Systems shows freight shipments and expenditures continued a surge to close 2021.

Lawrence Freight said its latest pay hike for company drivers will move annual wages to roughly $90,000 in 2022.

December supply chain numbers again show “significant expansion.” The Logistics Managers’ Index report questions whether retailers ordered too much for the holidays.

Schneider became the latest truckload carrier to bolt on a fleet. The company announced Tuesday the $263 million acquisition of dedicated carrier Midwest Logistics Systems.

Charges against its chairman did not implicate the truckload carrier itself.

Several asset-based carriers changed their course through M&A in 2021.

RLS Logistics continues to roll up the cold storage market, adding one family operator at a time.

J.B. Hunt Transport announced that eligible drivers and maintenance techs received nearly $10 million in appreciation bonuses on Friday.

AskWaves looks at some of the catalysts that have heated up M&A in the transportation space.

It has been a wild ride for GlobalTranz, with ownership shifting multiple times in just a few years.

Freight costs reach a record, according to November data from Cass Information Systems.

Cameron Ramsdell had only been with the company since the spring of 2020 after being brought in from Coyote.

At issue was a test given to job applicants, with the higher rate of female failure viewed as a “disparate impact.”

Truck broker Landstar System announced Wednesday it will use 2021’s record performance to pay shareholders a $2-per-share special dividend.

Growth throughout the supply chain accelerated in November with costs reaching all-time highs, according to the Logistics Managers’ Index.

Knight-Swift adds to its less-than-truckload offering with the acquisition of Midwest Motor Express. Investors continue to see the value in owning LTL assets.

Difficulties finding trailers is starting to rival the effects of the driver shortage at the nation’s largest fleets.

During a Stephens conference presentation before investors, CEO Fuller also discussed the unique driver retention tool at Variant called the “squad.”