Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

On Feb. 27, 1992, Stella Liebeck ordered a 49 cent cup of coffee from a McDonalds drive-thru in Albuquerque, New Mexico. What happened next forever changed trial jury awards and has had a lasting impact on multiple industries across the U.S., especially commercial transportation.

The Biden administration has released $36 billion in bailout money for the Central States Pension Fund (CSPF) that will go toward protecting the pensions of over 350,000 workers, including drivers who work for or have retired from less-than-truckload carriers Yellow and ABF Freight. The money was authorized within the Butch Lewis Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021, legislation that was rolled into the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden in March last year.

An explosion and fire at an agricultural plant Thursday in eastern Iowa has caused injuries and an evacuation of people near the operation. The explosion and fire happened about 11:15 a.m. in Marengo at a plant owned by Heartland Crush, a soybean crushing company. Hours later, the fire continued to burn.

Relief would apply only to daily and weekly hour-of-service limits

The sudden closure of a furniture company has left an Alabama trucking company as well as many others waiting to reclaim their property.

John R. Coleman, 46, of Greenwood, Mississippi, is the former CEO of Express Grain Terminals, LLC.

President Joe Biden on Friday signed into law a resolution intended to avert a freight rail strike, based on an agreement reached between some rail unions and freight rail companies.

Staying in the agricultural hauling business means meeting weight regulations. Blue Ink Tech, a leader in trucking technology, has released the most recent addition to its BIT Full Service Platform: the BIT Air Scale, which gives ag and cattle haulers access to real-time weight information on their phone or tablet.

Its not just Snowman's classic black-and-gold throwback paint scheme from Smokey & the Bandit on owner-operator John McCormick's beautiful rig thats all behind the name. The owner-operator christened the rig "Bandit" more than a year after he first purchased it working through the MHC Kenworth dealer in Springfield, Missouri.

Another driver requests exemption from parts of HOS regs For the third time this year, a truck operator is seeking an exemption from certain provisions in the hours-of-service regulations. Owner-operator Lee Schmitt requested and was later denied an exemption from four provisions of the regs, and operator Ronnie Brown III, whose petition is still pending, requested an exemption from the HOS regs and the ELD rule.

Arizona authorities seized $39,500 in cash from Johnson in August 2020. The money, according to Johnson, was to buy a used truck at auction. But police thought he had transported it on a flight from North Carolina as part of a drug deal and confiscated the funds.

Family-owned Mid Continent Trucking of Denison, Iowa, notified drivers and employees recently that after 24 years, the refrigerated carrier was ceasing operations two days after Thanksgiving because of worsening economic conditions and tumbling freight rates.

Technology companies supplying critical semiconductor chips to the economy have started shifting cargo shipments from railroads to trucks with a national freight rail strike looming. The moves are being made, DHL Global Forwarding tells CNBC, in an effort to avoid any pre-strike rail preparations that would force freight rail companies to prioritize cargo.

Cargill and Owensboro Grain Company, a fifth-generation family-owned soybean processing facility and refinery located in Owensboro, Ky., announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement where Cargill will add Owensboro Grain Company (OGC) to its North American agricultural supply chain business.

A handful of farm groups have been rejected in their effort to exempt truckers hauling live animals from federal mandates limiting the hours a driver can be on the job.

Each insurance company has what you might call an appetite. If we do not fit into an insurance companys appetite, they wont provide us insurance. For example, Progressive is not able to provide insurance to any trucking company that hauls loads requiring placards.

Representing strength and endurance, the Mack truck was born in 1900 with the first vehicle by Jack Mack and family at the Mack Brothers Company in Brooklyn, N.Y. Except it was a bus. And didnt have the classic bulldog emblem yet.

Freight demand has declined due to persistently high inflation, labour shortages and overstocked shelves.

A Missouri requirement is costing the trucking industry time and money. The federal government requires truckers to get physicals every two years. Brent Witte, with Witte Brothers Exchange in Troy, says many states let truck drivers submit this information online, but not in Missouri.

For years we've been hearing about a persistent shortage of truck drivers. But what if we're thinking about it wrong? What if the issue is that the shipping industry systematically mistreats or undervalues drivers, creating an ongoing and unsustainable churn?

Isaac Instruments is one of Canadas largest providers of trucking telematics. Isaac is also making a push into the U.S. market. The companys core offering is a tablet that functions as an electronic logging device. ELDs are required in North American trucks. They ensure that drivers are abiding by hours-of-service laws. In the U.S., that means no more than 11 hours of consecutive driving in a 14-hour period.

A proposal meant to revolutionize roadside inspection by requiring fleets and owner-operators to equip their trucks with a new electronic identification system was roundly rejected by much of the trucking industry.

Union leaders said Monday they believed that a compromise could still be reached to avoid a work stoppage that could disrupt the flow of goods around the U.S. Four out of 12 unions have now rejected the proposed contract, while the other eight have ratified the deal. Both sides have agreed to a cooling-off period until early December.

We are laser focused on providing the most affordable coverage for bulk freight haulers. We have live and breathed both sides of the business and are passionate about giving our clients the attention they deserve. Contact us and I promise you won't be disappointed. Jared Flinn

Ocean shipping demand is traditionally measured in ton-miles: volumes multiplied by distance. So, heres a paradox: Ton-miles for liquefied natural gas shipping have fallen in 2022, because most cargoes from the U.S. are being pulled to war-stricken Europe instead of going longer-haul to Asia. And yet, LNG shipping spot rates have skyrocketed to Guinness Book levels of up to $500,000 per day.

Jar

CHS Co-op and ADM along the Mississippi River front in Winona were very busy this past week at the peak of the 2022 harvest. Barges were being loaded and grain trucks were unloading.

A slowing economy and deteriorating freight conditions are already baked in the cake, according to Mullen Group senior executive officer Murray Mullen. But its small operators wholl face the greatest challenges as deteriorating conditions are met with rising costs.

Among them was a representative from The Truckload Carriers Association, who wrote that ELDs should be required on as many trucks as possible, including rebuilt or remanufactured engines or glider kits that can accommodate ELD technology. FMCSA should push for expanded ELD adoption, because it is an important tool to track compliance for the hours-of-service regulations, which were designed to improve safety.

American farming increasingly relies on software to keep the U.S. the worlds top food producer. But all that reliance on code-driven machinery has drawn ransomware attacks that could prove particularly devastating during harvest.

The California Air Resources Board is considering a proposed regulation to phase out big rigs and other trucks with internal combustion engines and replace them with zero-emission vehicles.

Federal regulators have attempted to clarify differences between brokers, bona fide agents and dispatch services in new interim guidelines issued Tuesday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Mandated by last years infrastructure bill, the guidelines are aimed at cracking down on companies that engage in truck brokering but without proper authority from FMCSA, an issue that brokers claim illegally undercuts their business.

Over the years I realized there weren't any books to teach kids about the importance of trucking and agriculture. I started sketching ideas which led to these books. I have one released on Amazon you can order by clicking on the link. If you can't afford one let me know and I'd be happy to get one dropped in the mail for you to give to your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, etc... Thank you and God Bless! Jared Flinn

Utah-based Savage recently was recognized as one of the 2022 Top Companies for Women to Work For in Transportation by the Women in Trucking Association. Savage, a provider of industrial logistics infrastructure and supply chain services, is one of several companies that provide bulk transportation on this years list, which includes Dupr Logistics, Highway Transport, Prime, Inc., Quality Carriers, and Schneider. WIT planned to honor all 100 companies at its Acceler

3.6% of the company's workforce has been let go.

In this episode, Jared continues his discussion with Michael Belzer. In thi

The Department of Energys Energy Information Administration in its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook released this week revised its outlook for retail diesel prices for the fourth quarter of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.

Robert LeDoux was sitting in his truck waiting to unload when the explosion happened. His dashcam captured the explosion.

The USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) says the number of grain barges being unloaded in New Orleans during September and October dropped significantly. An AMS report says the number of barges is 20-30 percent lower than in recent years. The slowdown coincides with river closures and restrictions on barge companies that reduced the bar tow.

A Michigan jury recently awarded $7.7 million to a man who was seriously injured in 2018 when the wheel came loose from a box truck heading in the opposite direction, jumped the median and crashed into the front of his vehicle. It took an eight-person jury less than two hours on Friday to find Lower Huron Chemical & Supply Co. of Wayne, Michigan, solely responsible for failing to follow the Department of Transportations regulations for the inspection, repair and maintenance of its

Recent data from the American Trucking Associations found that the average truckload driver made over $69,000 including salary and bonuses in 2021 an 18% increase from 2019. At the same time, however, driver compensation that is, a lack of it ranked as the No. 1 issue among company drivers and third among all drivers, according to the latest annual survey released in October by the American Transportation Research Institute, which works closely with ATA.

The annual rite of fall in western Minnesota and the Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota also attracts retired men and women, seasonal laborers and others who drive trucks for a variety of different industries.

Recently, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., posted a campaign video on Twitter that caught the attention of longtime truck driver Gord Magill, who is based in upstate New York. Magill and other truckers werent happy with Kellys message. In the video, Kelly discussed a bill he introduced this year with Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. The legislation would do away with certain requirements for obtaining a commercial drivers license. As Kelly said in his campaign video, the law would ea

As a veteran in the industry for nearly 20 years, I've had a front row seat dealing with thousands of companies in our industry from large grain and feed trading entities to a single owner operator trucking company. I've seen the companies that thrive and the companies that don't make it unfortunately and figured out why. We have used this knowledge to create a single platform that will equipment your company with the most innovative and profitable tools to keep your business on the leading e

In this episode, Jared brings on Michael Belzer, a professor at Wayne State

The National Grain and Feed Association, along with 192 other members of the Agricultural Transportation Working Group, want Congress to prevent a potential strike by railroad union members over the labor contract between the unions and the railroads.

CHS Inc. reported net income soared to $1.7 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, due to higher refining margins as well as strong demand within the global grain and processing and wholesale agronomy businesses. In fiscal year 2021, CHS reported net income of $554 million.

Last week, 63-year-old Brian Lovett died of cardiac arrest while on the job at ADM Grain Company in Seward. His death happened before he was able to complete his own harvest on his Winnebago farm. On Thursday, sixteen neighboring farmers came together to honor him by completing the job.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, on Oct. 26, issued a state of emergency in the state due to extremely low inventories and outages of certain liquid products including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, propane, ethyl alcohol, natural gasoline, diesel exhaust fluid, and anhydrous ammonia.

I started with one truck. During my time as an owner-operator, I turned it into a kind of rolling university. In the beginning, I didnt even know what a load board was. But I was always eager to learn more and elevate within this industry.

The transportation industry is shouldering the burden of sky-high diesel prices, as suppliers blame supply chain shortages and red tape for impacting prices at the pump. But President Biden has painted oil companies as the scapegoat for high gas prices, accusing them of hiking prices to enhance their profit margins, while critics have shot back accusing the administration of hampering American energy production. South Carolina Trucking Association CEO Rick Todd joined "Fox & Friends First

The 28-year-old co-owned a trucking company in Buffalo, the U.S. Attorneys Office says, in which he managed drivers and coordinated shipments. Prosecutors say that for roughly a year, starting in mid-2020, Fares received payments after fraudulently applying for unemployment benefits and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.

Owner-operators Toni and Chris Murphy of New Egypt, New Jersey, said its been hard to fight back against an invisible tech-savvy fraudster who stole their trucking companys identity, posted loads using their Department of Transportation number, collected payment for those loads, then disappeared, leaving the Murphys to deal with the fallout.

Hey guys, many of you farm and truck. Check out my latest podcast with Tanner Winterhof as we dive into farming operations that have trucking entities as well. Tanner also hosts the Farm4Profit podcast you can check out here.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Production at Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) could come to a stop within hours if union workers reject a contract offer and walk off the job. According to Teamsters Local 238, over 200 members are preparing for a strike as the unions contract expires at midnight. Jesse Case, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 238, said, I think all were asking for is a fair deal. Case said the union and the company go through the negotiation process ever

Domestic U.S. shipping demand is receding and freight rates are falling, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports, in a sign that shifting demand by overstocked retailers is unraveling traditional seasonal shipping patterns. The changes are cascading across freight operations, cutting into inbound shipping volumes and bringing fewer goods onto the roads, according to WSJ.

Dry van truckload contract rates have fallen about 9% since the start of the summer but have slowed their rate of descent this fall, according to FreightWaves Van Contract Initial Report Index (VCRPM1), which is based on the linehaul-only portion of freight invoices. Is this a sign that shippers will not be aggressively peeling back the past two years of rate increases?

Be afraid of plaintiffs counsel who make millions of dollars a year looking for weaknesses, attacking truck drivers and trucking companies alike, a lawyer has warned Canadian carriers operating in the U.S.

John Mullis has been hitting the open road since 1979. Im with a pretty good company and they take care of us pretty good, he said. Over the years, hes seen diesel prices go up and down, but lately, hes noticing an uptick in certain cities. Not only that, but he also is concerned about supply. Its going up and going up... when you can find it, said Mullis.

For every kernel of corn from the Baker family farm left at Gavilon Grain Thursday, John Baker probably doubled the number of "thank yous" he gave to the volunteers who harvested the fields.

Rail companies and labor unions have reached stalemate over paid sick leave, raising the prospects of a worker strike in coming months. With harvest just over halfway complete, the threat of a rail strike could not come at a worse time.

Dozens of farmers came together to support a family after their father passed away unexpectedly, leaving five fields unharvested.

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday agreed to accept a $15,000 penalty from Hefty Seed Company, based in Baltic, South Dakota, for not having a state-required license to buy grain.

On the grounds of Williamsport High School in western Maryland, three 17-year-olds pile into the cab of a white Volvo truck, pens and pads in hand.

A north central Iowa organic soybean business filed for bankruptcy Monday, saying it owes at least 100 creditors $10 million. It's the state's second grain business to run into financial insolvency this year.

Global grains merchant Archer-Daniels-Midland Co on Tuesday posted its strongest third-quarter profit on record on robust demand for grain and oilseeds and tight supplies, and said full-year earnings would exceed previous guidance.

Freight factoring company, Smart Freight Funding, helps trucking companies of all sizes keep their trucks moving by getting paid quicker. Smart Freight Funding works with single truck operations, individual owner-operator, and larger companies managing several trucks and drivers. We offer competitive low rates, quick pay, and superb customer service. The team behind Smart Freight Funding has more than 50 years combined driving, dispatching, contracting and accounting experience in

The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has an array of new resources at its disposal, and regulators are looking to put them to work at a time when the trucking industry is in the spotlight.

Today, the American Transportation Research Institute, the trucking industry's not-for-profit research organization, released its 18th annual Top Industry Issues report, identifying the leading industry concerns including fuel prices, the driver shortage, truck parking, driver compensation, the economy and for the first time, speed limiters.

Jared brings on Ken Evans and Kristin Rakoczy with Konexial to discuss ELDs

Here is a look at the five most compelling regulatory activities, based on stage of proposed rulemaking, scope, and date of action, within in the agencys most recent Significant Rulemaking Report, issued for September 2022. Also included below is an update on FMCSAs intention to issue a revised Medical Examiners Handbook and related guidance.

While a freight broker bond doesn't protect against liability, it is a requirement if you want to operate your logistics company and don't want to tie up $75,000 in a BMC-85 trust.

Trucking firm Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. warned of a rapid slowdown in the freight market, an ominous sign for the economy as shippers grapple with a lackluster peak season ahead of the holidays. Businesses are slowing their orders on concern consumer demand wont hold up, and that means less freight to carry, especially for smaller truckers, the company said late Wednesday as it reported quarterly earnings. Thats leading to a decline in the prices transportation c

Were pretty deep into the back half of the Atlantic hurricane season, but that doesnt necessarily mean that the worst is behind us. Weve seen major hurricanes run into late November and just last year Tropical Storm Wanda knocked out power throughout New England, and coastal Massachusetts saw hurricane-force wind gusts, causing damage to numerous homes and obstructing many roadways.

The 2000 International semi was going north on Highway 183 when a 2010 Toyota passenger vehicle attempted to pass the truck in a no-passing zone. A southbound vehicle swerved into the ditch to avoid a head-on collision with the Toyota, that is when the semi left the road, overcorrected, and flipped, coming to rest on its top, according to the KHP.

A car driver gets quite the wakeup call about the importance of sharing the road with big rigs in construction zones in this dash cam video.

On Thursday, Loves Travel Stops announced the opening of the companys 600th location with a new store in Perry, Oklahoma. The new 12,000 square foot store is located off of I-35 in Perry. Amenities at the Perry Loves location include: As Loves opens its 600th location in the U.S., and 81st in its home state of Oklahoma, the company remains committed to being the best and most comprehensive travel stop on the highway and adding new amenit

The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) will implement a pilot program this winter that will semi-automate Variable Speed Limit signs in an effort to increase highway safety when the weather turns bad. On October 19, WYDOT announced that the pilot program will be installed along I-80 between Laramie and Rawlins and on Wyoming Highway 28 over South Pass. While Variable Speed Limit changes are usually initiated by WYDOT and Wyoming Highway Patrol personnel,

These challenges can include insurance prices, recruitment capabilities, maintenance and building shipper partnerships all evergreen problems that attracted the investors of its most recent round.

Jared brings on Jason Byer with Crowdspring to discuss branding. Crowdspring helps business owners grow the

The exemption, first issued by FMCSA in March 2020 following the national emergency declared by President Trump in response to COVID-19, was extended and/or modified over 10 times. It gave truck drivers and carriers more flexibility to deliver shipments of livestock, medical supplies, vaccines, groceries and diesel fuel by waiving hours of service restrictions.

Despite threats to their health and fears of driving to unknown territories, they stayed true to their jobs and transported food, supplies and medicines.

A 64-year-old from Michigan is suspected of setting dozens of semi-trucks from the same transportation company (not pictured) on fire at rest stops in eight

Global Processing Inc. of Kanawha, Iowa, which owns and operates grain facilities in Lexington and Haigler, surrendered its license Wednesday after a PSC audit showed it did not have enough funds to cover its grain purchases made in the state.

Special rules apply for those who work in the transportation industry. Someone who works in the transportation industry is defined in Rev. Proc. 2019-48 as someone whose work directly involves moving people or goods by airplane, barge, bus, ship, train or truck.

Jared brings on Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain. In this episode, Joe shares his story about how he got into the grain market industry and what he does for a living. Joe also hos

Through our enforcement in the wage and hour division, we know that misclassification is occurring in many industries and sectors, said Principal Deputy Administrator of WHD Jessica Looman during a media briefing Tuesday. We believe the proposed regulation would better protect workers from misclassification, while at the same time providing a consistent approach for those businesses that engage or wish to engage with independent business contractors.

Their steeds have names like Peterbilt and Kenworth, and they may not wear spurs, but cattle truckers have just as much impact on the health of our herds as cowboys in the saddle.

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) is targeting and ticketing CMV drivers who do not comply with the states Chain Law requirements at during three planned enforcement checkpoints this month. CSPs Golden Division will partner with the Colorado State Patrol Port of Entry in Dumont and the Colorado Department of Transportation to set up a series of Chain Law checkpoints near Georgetown on I-70 at mile marker 228 (Georgetown Chain Station).

As of Oct. 7, the river was still closed near Stack Island, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn. That has resulted in a backup of more than 2,000 barges at various points, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Dredging activities are currently paused, and officials plan to reopen the waterway with restrictions when it has been determined safe to do so.

Blue Ink Technology, the maker of the BIT ELD, has introduced a new way for drivers to print and send their gross and axle weights to carriers and shippers. Customers who use BIT Air Scales can now access the ability to print and send scale tickets from the Blue Ink Tech app. This is an exciting time for our air scale users said Mike Riegel, head of operations at Blue Ink Tech. With this capability, drivers will not only know what they weig

A St. Louis-based grain and soybean manufacturer is planning to spend $445 million to expand its processing plant in Morristown. Bunge North America Inc. says the effort is expected to result in 70 additional jobs by the end of 2025, raising employment at the plant to 177.

The truck transportation sector had approximately 1,580,800 employees in September, compared to 1,592,200 the prior month, according to seasonally adjusted data from the Labor Department. There was a loss of 11,400 jobs in the sector month-over-month.

Authorities say that Padilla stole the identity of an interstate carrier located in Spring Valley in San Diego County, California, and agreed to deliver loads using that carriers identity. However instead of delivering those loads, Padilla posed as a shipper and re-brokered the loads to other trucking companies, who actually delivered the freight. Padilla collected the payments from customers as the Spring Valley carrier and did not pay the trucking companies that actually delivered th

An application from a company specializing in pulsating brake lights for trucks has been denied by federal regulators despite strong support from the trucking industry.

The family 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri; the childs mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39 were kidnapped at gunpoint from a new office for their trucking company. The kidnapping took place on Monday, October 3rd in Merced, California.

A with an otherwise solid carrier-vetting strategy contracts with a legitimate Carrier A to move a load. Yet: There is no prohibition in the broker's contract with the carrier that prevents the carrier from re-brokering that load.

Tank truck carriers hear all kinds of excuses for rate increases during the insurance renewal process. Think about the reasonsaka excusesyouve likely heard from brokers attempting to explain increasing premiums.