Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

By Tony C. Dreibus - May 15, 2012 11:00 PM CT Wheat yields in Kansas, the biggest U.S. producer of winter varieties, may drop by as much as a third in some counties as hot, dry weather curbs production, boosting prices that yesterday rose the most in six weeks. Windy conditions in parts of southwest and north-central Kansas are increasing the drying effect of the hot weather and preventing the actual grain from developing inside the head of the plant, said Jim Shroyer, an agronomist at Kansa

Written by Ashley Keesis-Wood A new regional office in Windsor is bringing the town back to its agricultural roots. J.D. Heiskell and Co. is opening a regional office in town at 1613 Pelican Lakes Point to handle its operations in the area. "We're going to be buying and selling grain and feed ingredients," said Colorado Trading Manager Bryan Irey. "We buy from commercial feed elevators in Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas, as well as selling grain to feed lots and ethanol plants; really an

By KATIE BRANDENBURG, The Daily News, kbrandenburg@bgdailynews.com/783-3242 | 3 comments A lawsuit brought by a local grain mill owner against the city of Bowling Green is scheduled to move forward to a jury trial soon. The suit from Don Lowe and his company, Lowe's Feed and Grain, claims that fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation on the part of the city and a city electrical inspector temporarily put him out of business. A pretrial conference for Don Lowe and Lowe's Feed and Grain Inc.

By Barb Kromphardt - bkromphardt@bcrnews.com Created: Monday, May 14, 2012 7:47 p.m. CDT Updated: Monday, May 14, 2012 7:50 p.m. CDT SPRING VALLEY -- A donation from Archer Daniels Midland put the Spring Valley Fire Department over the top in its efforts to raise a down payment on the purchase of a new $240,000 rescue truck. Last week representatives from ADM presented the department with a check for $30,000, which brought the department's down payment up to $100,000. The money from A

--Oil firms buy sand mines to ensure supplies needed for shale drilling --"Frac sand" demand has grown 35% in average in last 5 years --Shale drilling prompts proliferation of sand mines across the nation VOCA, Texas -(Dow Jones)- This tiny corner of Texas Hill Country doesn't have oil or gas riches, but it does hold vast deposits of a granular commodity highly-coveted by energy companies: sand. As the use of the drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing has skyrocketed in the

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | May 14, 2012 3:04PM GMT The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story LTL | Truckload | United States Shipper index held 'steady' in March, but research firm sees rocky road ahead Shippers can expect more upward pressure on truck pricing through the fall as available capacity tightens, according to research firm FTR Associates. FTR's Shippers Condition Index for March improved slightly from February, rising from -5.6 to -5.3, the Nashville, Ind.-based res

Nixa, MO (PRWEB) May 14, 2012 BulkLoadsNow.com, a leading Internet-based bulk freight matching site, introduced a new feature called Reloads this week. Reloads matches posted loads with other loads in a carrier's destination, giving carriers instant access to find loads that keep them loaded and moving. "Reloads is just one more way we continue to meet the demands of the bulk freight industry. We promised our members we'd be innovative, bringing them new solutions and our Reloads feature is

By JESSICA HOLDMAN | Bismarck Tribune Bob McArdle has been driving semis for 39 years. He owns his own truck and makes 52 trips a year hauling groceries between Chicago and Bismarck for Karriers Inc. He already faces a lot of challenges making a living on the road but could soon face another one. Congressional deliberations have begun in conference committee for the federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century. One part of the bill would mandate electronic on-b

By Michele Fuetsch, Staff Reporter This story appears in the May 14 print edition of Transport Topics. Royce Brooks, an experienced tank truck driver, was hauling gasoline to Lockhart, Texas, south of Austin, when a BMW driver blew through a stop sign and a flashing red light. The car hit the tanker truck with such force that Texas State Police said the rig went into a ditch, spun around, flipped and burst into flames, killing Brooks, 41. The driver of the BMW in the March 28 crash h

Police Say Body Pulled From River HOLIDAY CITY, OHIO -- A missing trucker from Goffstown was discovered in Northwest Ohio by a fisherman, said investigators. Surat Nuenoom was found in a pond, said police. Investigators said it appears he drowned. Nuenoom was last seen in a Holiday Inn in Holiday City, Ohio on March 15. He was reported missing after he failed to make a delivery in Indiana, and his truck was found still parked at the hotel. Read more: http://www.wmur.com/news/31057279/d

By Mark Friedman 5/14/2012 http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=131368.54928.143509 A good truck driver is hard to find, especially when the economy is rolling. Since the annual turnover rate for truck drivers bottomed out at 39 percent during the first quarter of 2010, the rate has more than doubled for trucking companies that have more than $30 million in annual revenue, according to the American Trucking Associations of Arlington, Va. The latest figures show the turno

By Renee Narvaiz EL PASO, Texas -- Driving through central El Paso on Friday morning, drivers might have seen a 2-ton truck dangling in the air over Tom Lea Park. The scene was a bold statement from the Texas Department of Transportation as it prepares to begin the 11th annual Click It or Ticket campaign. The truck was being held in the air with by two straps of seat belt material. TXDOT leaders said it's a literal example of how strong seatbelts are. According to TXDOT leaders, sea

by: Jill Dunn A federal judge has sentenced a Philadelphia trucker to 18 months in prison for falsifying his logbook in connection to a sentence he was already serving for vehicular homicide. On May 7, U.S. District Court Judge James Knoll Gardner sentenced Valerijs Nikolaevich Belovs, 58, on 15 counts of making false statements in connection with a falsified log book, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Philadelphia judge also fined Belovs $1,000, levied a $1,500 special assess

By Patrick O'Shea po'shea@timesonline.com | 12 comments AMBRIDGE -- A trucker from Kansas is facing charges after wandering uninvited into an Ambridge home early Thursday and battling police officers who responded. Ambridge Police Officer Zadock Dismuke said a resident of 716 14th St. was awakened by noise from his 3-year-old son about 4:10 a.m. And as the homeowner, whose name was not released, was checking on the boy, he heard his back door open. When the homeowner went downstairs, he spo

Written by DAN PILLER http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120511/BUSINESS/305110035/0/ENT05/?odyssey=nav%7Chead The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday that because of expected surges in production and surplus stocks, the corn Iowa farmers are planting now may be worth as much as $2 per bushel less than last year's crop. "That will cost farmers a lot of revenue," said Jim Fausch this week as he looked over the thin green lines of newly-emerged sprout of corn plants on h

By MARY PIEPER, mary.pieper@globegazette.com | Posted: Thursday, May 10, 2012 5:00 pm | (0) Comments Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/nora-springs-adm-facility-on-hold/article_a75eb588-6e55-5c98-a8f9-a10dd550067f.html#ixzz1uZj9R2fF

OmniTRAX to apply for handling licence By: Martin Cash When the Harper government passed the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, it was generally understood that the Prairie grain-handling landscape was going to change. But beyond an expected dramatic downsizing of the Canadian Wheat Board -- which, the Free Press reported this week, is now fully underway -- no one knew exactly what was going to happen. Like any business whose main source of revenue is being threatened, the folks at O

SHA initiated an inspection in November 2011 after receiving a complaint that a worker had entered a milled cotton seed bin without preparation and appropriate equipment and became trapped and hung from a lanyard for a lengthy time. May 11, 2012 OSHA has cited Ware Milling Co. Inc. for 30 safety and health violations at the company's Waycross, Ga., facility. Proposed penalties total $157,500. OSHA initiated an inspection in November 2011 after receiving a complaint that a worker had enter

By JAMES MacPHERSON -- Associated Press Posted: 12:04am on May 10, 2012; Modified: 12:24am on May 10, 2012 Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/05/10/1934921/oil-boom-resurrects-north-dakota.html#storylink=cpy For more than three decades, Kerry and Darrell Finsaas were all that kept this blink-and-you-miss-it North Dakota community from becoming completely deserted. As Dore's only residents, they lived in a ghost town on the desolate northern Plains. But now the couple ha

Digital Journal After federal regulators adopted a new rule prohibiting commercial drivers from using cell phones behind the wheel, companies are now concerned about steep civil judgments. Learn more in the following article. May 10, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Public sentiment has been growing against distracted driving for a number of years, especially after several high profile accidents involving commercial trucks and buses where drivers were using cell phones behind the wheel. After

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | May 8, 2012 5:55PM GMT The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story LTL | Truckload | Labor | Trucking | United States Speakers at NITL Policy Forum warn of price hikes, seek more shipper partnerships Trucking executives sounded a clear warning about rising costs Tuesday at the National Industrial Transportation League's Freight Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. From driver wages to fuel and tractor prices to health insurance premiums, costs are rising at

Stolen during the late night hours of 05-07-12 or early morning on 05-08-12 from De Soto Feed & Grain in De Soto, Johnson County, KS. Red 2007 GMC Sierra 3500 Flatbed Dually Truck with front tag KS 486-AZQ (no rear tag) Truck VIN is 1GDJK34627E597174 Desoto Feed & Grain magnetic signs were affixed to the truck Attached to the truck was a 2003 Diamond Gooseneck 20 foot trailer Trailer VIN is 5FWUP20272R002622 The office was also entered an a theft occurred. If you see such a

A truck driver, who was injured in an accident after failing to comply with his employer's safety rules regarding breaks, was denied workers' compensation benefits. A court had to decide whether he was entitled to the benefits. For a Limited Time receive a FREE HR Report "Top 10 Best Practices in HR Management." This comprehensive special report will give you the information you need to know about these current HR challenges and how to most effectively manage them in your workplace. Downloa

by SUSANNAH FRAME / KING 5 Investigative Unit A Washington trucking company has collected nearly $40 million in state contracts since 2008 under a program intended to benefit disadvantaged businesses, despite the fact that several state employees, including investigators and auditors, raised serious concerns about whether the company should qualify for the program designed to help to firms owned by minorities and women. The company in question -- Mukilteo-based Grady Excavating -- manage

By MORAN ZHANG: Subscribe to Moran's RSS feed International Business Times Marubeni Corp., Japan's biggest grain trading company, is in exclusive talks to buy U.S. grain and energy trader Gavilon LLC for about $5.2 billion including debt, media reports said Tuesday, citing sources close to the deal. Click Here to Read Full Story

Denise Deveau May 8, 2012 – 8:59 AM ET | Last Updated: May 8, 2012 10:49 AM ET Issue: With profit margins in the transportation industry growing increasingly thin and more scrutiny on the environmental impact of the industry, transport providers are under increased pressure to find cost-effective and eco-friendly means of transporting goods Shift: Collaboration between the transport sector, government and safety groups is resulting in more transport operators doubling up loads and reducin

By Ian Berry http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chs-to-partner-with-japans-zen-noh-2012-05-07 CHS Inc. CHSCP -0.07% , the largest farmer cooperative in the U.S., is forming a joint venture with a large Japanese cooperative to supply wheat and barley to Japan. CHS, based outside St. Paul, Minn., will own 51% of the joint venture with Tokyo-based cooperative Zen-Noh. The venture, named CZL Ltd., will be managed out of Tokyo. The venture will export grain in the U.S., Canada and Australia

By JOAN LOWY The Associated Press 5/7/2012 WASHINGTON -- Highway deaths declined again last year, reaching their lowest rate when compared to miles driven since such record-keeping began in 1921, according preliminary government data released Monday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's early estimate of 2011 traffic fatalities released Monday said there were 32,310 deaths in motor vehicle crashes last year, a drop of 1.7 percent from the previous year. That's the lowest n

CASSANDRA GARRISON NEW YORK Published: May 07, 2012 9:41 a.m. Last modified: May 07, 2012 10:03 a.m. http://www.metro.us/newyork/national/article/1142335--horrific-video-shows-train-plowing-through-tractor-trailer A dramatic video that shows a freight train barreling through a semi truck is being circulated online this morning. The video was shot in Kings Mountain, North Carolina on Friday morning. The semi got stuck on the tracks as the driver tried to drive over them, according to

If you're ever stuck on top of a tractor trailer in a huge flood, take this guy as a shining beacon of inspiration. Did he let his feathers get ruffled? Nope. He had a nice little cell phone convo while rescue workers figured out the sticky details. When a video camera equipped chopper swooped in for a better look at this truck driver stranded near Flint, Michigan, he casually turned away from it. I'm not sure whether his arm got tired and he wanted to switch hands or if he needed to move his h

NASHVILLE, IN -- FTR's Trucking Conditions Index for March showed a half-point improvement over February, and the forecast for 2012, FTR said, is a steady climb throughout 2012, with the index hitting double digits in early 2013. FTR expects Truck freight to increase at a 4 to 5 percent growth rate for the remainder of 2012, putting pressure on capacity. This will allow fleets more leeway in the freight they choose to haul and at what rate, FTR said. "Slightly weaker than expected freight

FLINT, Mich. (WDIV) - Stranded in the middle of flooded I-75 wasn't the morning Brandon Jenkins expected. There he was, stuck on top of his semi truck that was loaded with 44,000 pounds of potatoes. Brandon was headed to a produce market in Detroit when the stretch of southbound I-75 near I-69 turned into a lake. That's when he took matter into his own hands. "I just got up on top of the truck to stay dry," he said. Help finally arrived, but the only way to get him down was by boat.

By Steve Raabe The Denver Post Explosive growth in Colorado's craft-brewing industry produces not only more beer, but more beer byproducts. That means the hamburger you eat next week may come from a steer happily fed last week with brewing leftovers. Using spent grains for livestock feed dates to the advent of beer. But with corn and other commodity prices sky high, feedyards increasingly are using brewing byproducts to help fatten cattle in preparation for slaughter. "They say that Color

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Chicago Tribune Greg Gross The York Dispatch, Pa. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-mct-trucker-dies-after-trying-to-help-at-crash-20120503,0,7736574.story?page=1 Donald Duncan Jr. was the kind of guy who got along with everyone and the kind of person to help those in need. In the early hours of March 13, Duncan, a truck driver, stopped to help two fellow truck drivers who were involved in a crash on a stretch of the Indiana Toll Road in St. Joseph County, Ind. While attemptin

Speeding was a contributing factor in eight percent of all reported large truck crashes in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. May 04, 2012 Research released recently by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reveals the safety benefits of using technology to electronically govern and limit the top speed of commercial trucks. "This study confirms what ATA has been saying for years--speed kills and one of the most effective ways to prevent hundre

By: Zacks Equity Research http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/74430/the-andersons-buys-ethanol-biz The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE - Analyst Report) has completed the purchase of an ethanol facility in Denison, Iowa from Amaizing Energy Dennison LLC and Amaizing Energy Holding Company, LLC. The new plant consists of an ethanol production facility with an adjacent 2.7 million bushel grain terminal. It will carry out its operations in the west of Mississippi. It would be included in the Ethanol Gro

Richmond News http://www.richmond-dailynews.com/?p=10311 The nation's 100 largest agriculture cooperatives reported near-record revenue of $118 billion in 2010, USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager announced Tuesday, with local company Ray-Carroll Grain Growers jumping from 94th-best in 2009 to 79th in 2011. The total increase among the top 100 co-ops refects a 4- percent gain over the 2009 figures. Net income for the 100 top agriculture co-ops was also up more than 10 p

Progressive Railroading http://www.progressiverailroading.com/class_is/news/Bartlett-Grain-to-build-KCSRserved-facility-in-Illinois--30887# The village of South Jacksonville, Ill., and Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Commission recently announced that Bartlett Grain Co. will build a new grain-handling facility in the village near Interstate 72 and state highway 267. Designed to store more than 2 million bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat, the facility will be served by Kansa

Weekly Times Now http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/05/03/476661_opinion-news.html TAKEOVERS in the global wheat industry need some regulatory oversight, writes CHRIS KELLY The whole point of deregulating the Australian wheat export market was to drive efficiencies and ensure the best use of scarce resources. The takeover of the Canadian company Viterra by the Swiss company Glencore highlights risks the free market is exposed to without proper regulatory oversight by an in

By TIM LANDIS (tim.landis@sj-r.com) The State Journal-Register http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x272280278/State-of-the-art-grain-terminal-planned-for-South-Jacksonville SOUTH JACKSONVILLE -- One of the nation's largest grain companies expects to be shipping trainloads of central Illinois corn, soybeans and wheat by the fall of 2013 from a state-of-the-art terminal planned in South Jacksonville. Bartlett Grain Co., based in Kansas City, Mo., plans to begin construction this summer on th

By David Kaplan Published 08:06 p.m., Tuesday, May 1, 2012 http://www.chron.com/business/article/Imperial-Sugar-acquired-by-Louis-Dreyfus-3526028.php Imperial Sugar, the company that made Sugar Land, is being acquired by Louis Dreyfus Commodities for $78 million. Imperial Sugar has faced financial problems and its presence in Sugar Land has greatly diminished since the refinery closed in 2003. There are only about 65 corporate employees left in town. But the company's legacy is strong.

Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/02/gavilon-idUSL1E8G28F020120502 * Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui vying for Gavilon-sources * Final bids for US grain and energy trader this week-sources * Mitsui only interested in Gavilon's oil business-source * Bidders question $5 bln valuation expectation-sources By Soyoung Kim and Emi Emoto NEW YORK/TOKYO, May 2 (Reuters) - Japan's top trading companies have emerged as the frontrunners in the race to buy Gavilon, as the U.S.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/8a65ef0846c848299f1b1c73077241dc/OK--Military-Fuel-Thefts/ OKLAHOMA CITY -- The owner and bookkeeper of a trucking company are due in federal court in Oklahoma after prosecutors say they conspired to steal jet fuel meant for the U.S. military. Doyle Latimer and his wife, Cynthia, are expected to appear before a judge Wednesday. Latimer owned a trucking company that was subcontracted to deliver fuel to Air Force bases. His wif

BY JENNY LEE, VANCOUVER SUN http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Trucking+company+owner+stroke+leaves+lurch/6548974/story.html Tough as nails, she was. Craig Hutchison's mom, Gayl, owned a trucking company back in the day when it was uncommon for a woman. She worked long hours, ate, drank, smoked and hung out in the pub along with all the guys. Then one workday morning, just after she turned 50, she collapsed in the washroom. She'd had a stroke. "She went to the bathroom because s

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-study-companies-overspent-on-shipping-an-average-of-13-in-2011-2012-05-01 SALT LAKE CITY, May 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In a new study conducted by Logica, a parcel and freight audit company, most US-based organizations overspent by an average of 13% on their annual shipping costs. Researchers at Logica state that the overcharges came from many different categories, but mostly stem from inconsistent discount practices, accessorial charges, and extra fees

BY STEVE WALLACE, TIMES COLONIST http://www.theprovince.com/cars/rigs+need+extra+wide+berth/6545733/story.html (EDITOR'S NOTE: Steve Wallace, owner of Wallace Driving School on Vancouver Island and in the Central Interior, weighs in with his profession-al opinion on a subject raised by Province Trucking columnist John G. Stirling in last week's Tuesday Trucking.) The most skilful and safest drivers in the world are big-rig truckers. They travel millions of kilometres each year and sh

By Tony C. Dreibus - Apr 30, 2012 11:00 PM CT http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-01/kansas-wheat-growth-boosts-yields-as-glut-may-erode-price.html The fastest-ever development of the Kansas wheat crop is drawing a record number of surveyors seeking to gauge prospects for a harvest that is poised to swell the world's grain bins and drive prices lower. Kansas, the top U.S. grower of winter wheat, will collect 45.8 bushels an acre when the harvest starts in May, the most since 2003 and up

By Larry Kerr President EBE Technologies This Opinion piece appears in the April 30 print edition of Transport Topics. Carriers have many reasons for maintaining good scores on the new Compliance, Safety, Accountability program introduced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. First and foremost, CSA scores reflect a carrier's safety factor, with poor scores impeding its ability to: • Attract the most profitable loads from shippers and logistics providers. • Keep