Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

CATOOSA, Okla. (KTUL) -- The barges at the Port of Catoosa haven't moved since May13th after the historic flooding. That's costing the state more than two million dollars a day in lost revenue. RELATED | Waterways shut down at Port of Catoosa, costing industry $2 million a day The earliest the barges will begin to move is in September. 78 barges are parked out there right now.

Economic growth is strong. Unemployment is low. Business and consumer confidence remains high. Its pretty easy to say that most small business owners are doing pretty well this year. Except if youre in the trucking business. Thats according to a number of recent reports that cover the freight industry. They are not great.

Theres growing consensus among national security experts that China now poses the greatest, long-term strategic threat to United States. Evidence of this can be seen on multiple fronts, including ongoing trade disputes and Chinas increasingly brazen spying efforts against the U.S. often aimed at stealing intellectual property and corporate trade secrets. Clearly, Beijing has calculated that gaining an economic edge over the West is as critical as military might.

Kansas wheat is stockpiling at area elevators as 2019 harvest comes to a close. Some will start shipping out to California from Scoular Grain northeast of Pratt in the very near future.

Theres a joke in the autonomous vehicle community right now: How do you know youre in a self-driving car? There are two human drivers in the front. Many of the companies testing out self-driving cars in the US, like Uber, Waymo, and GMs Cruise, have ridden with a safety driver behind the wheel, and an engineer in the passenger seat monitoring the cars systems.

Tens of thousands of ships sailing the world's oceans burn more than 3 million barrelsof sludge-like high-sulfur fuel every single day. But, starting next year, the shipping industry will have to comply with rules that should dramatically reduce sulfur emissions. "It is the biggest change in oil market history," Steve Sawyer, senior analyst at energy consultant Facts Global Energy, told CNBC. "It is going to affect crude oil producers, traders, ship owners, refiners, equity investors, insuran

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) The heat wave bearing down on Illinois this week may create problems on the road. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is warning drivers that the pavement may buckle on roads throughout the state. Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman, said, At IDOT, we will have the necessary staffing and materials in place to make repairs as quickly as possible. We ask the public to stay alert and avoid driving over buckled roads, if po

President Donald Trumps trade war will change forever the way top importer China buys its soybeans. Thats according to Archer-Daniels-Midland, one of the worlds largest agricultural commodities trader. The tit-for-tat tariff spat, which already has shrunk purchases of American beans, probably will mean China will try to reduce its dependence on the United States by buying from elsewhere and improving yields of its own production, ADM Chief Financial Officer Ray Young said

Shale Support is the latest in a line of companies from outside Houston to bring their bankruptcies before Bayou City courts.

Emerge Energy Services, which owns eight frac sand mining and processing facilities in Wisconsin under subsidiary Superior Silica Sands, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in federal court. Now, officials in Chippewa and Barron counties are working to find out how the bankruptcy might impact plans to reclaim idled sand mines.

Bucking trends in industries with similar workforce demographics, self-employed truck drivers earn more per hour and work more hours for more money than company drivers who are paid per mile or per hour, according to an analysis conducted by Aaron Terrazas, Convoys director of economic research. His report, based on the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey (2015-2017), and Current Population Survey (1990-2018) casts light on why drivers might decide to work for companie

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied a request from the Small Business in Transportation Coalition that sought to exempt trucking companies with 50 or fewer employees from the electronic logging device mandate. In its request, SBTC stated the ELD rule is merely a tool to determine compliance with an existing rule that regulates over-the-road drivers driving and on-duty time. SBTC contends the rule isnt a safety regulation. In its decision to d

Frontier Co-op and Midwest Farmers Cooperative, which decided to merge in April, have announced plans for a new name and a new headquarters location....

Starsky Robotics is a tiny autonomous trucking startup that plans to take on global truck manufacturers including Daimler, Volvo and Volkswagens Traton subsidiary. The San Francisco company scored points in the race to develop robotic trucks in June when it became the first company to test a fully autonomous truck on public roads in the U.S. without a human in the vehicle.

From the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, black triangles line the Missouri River and its tributaries on the U.S. Geological Survey flood map. Despite the disruption to production and shipping, one pet food ingredient supplier doesnt anticipate serious supply problems for the pet food industry.

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional drivers and travelers will relish the chance to get a free hot dog at Love's Travel Stops this National Hot Dog Day. Love's and Schwab Meat Co. have partnered to give customers free hot dogs on Wednesday, July 17, at participating locations in 41 states. Customers who present a barcode at checkout can enjoy a free hot dog or roller grill item.

This article was originally published on freightwaves.com in 2017 in reaction to Hurricane Harvey. FreightWaves continues to receive questions regarding relief loads, so we are republishing it to help answer some of those questions. I started Xpress Direct in 2002 and ran the operation until 2005. I have not worked for a trucking company in over a decade, as I have chosen a new path as CEO and Founder of FreightWaves, but I wanted to share my story. -Craig Fuller, CEO of FreightWaves On Frida

A second jury may hear evidence in the ongoing legal dispute between Lowes Feed and Grain and former city inspector Rick Maxwell. Feed mill owner Don Lowe sued Maxwell and the city of Bowling Green in 2007, seeking to hold them liable for a 2002 power outage that shut down the business for 17 months. Lowe accused Maxwell of misrepresenting to him the cause of the power outage and failing to notify him in a timely fashion about purported city code violations at the mill and what Lowe ne

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Those in ag industry circles are hoping this is the case as ramped-up transportation and trucking regulations have been bearing down on business. The Agricultural Trucking Relief Act (S. 2025) might help clear the path. The new piece of legislation introduced by Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) would clearly define agricultural commodities by aligning the definition used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wit

BISMARCK One of North Dakotas outstanding pulse crop marketers has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and reorganization, a victim of tariffs and weather. JM Grain Inc., with offices at Garrison, N.D., and Great Falls, Mont., filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy June 25 in Fargo. The company says sales in the current year are about $3.5 million compared to the average of about $13 million, in part due to tariff and trade disruptions. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Shon Hastin

Data on producer prices shows that wholesale inflation pressure remained subdued in June. Industry detail showed a second consecutive gain in trucking rates during the month, though much of this gain was driven by seasonal strengthening The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the producer price index (PPI) rose 0.1 percent in June from Mays levels. This exceeded consensus estimates of a 0.1 percent decline and follows a similar 0.1 percent gain the previous month. Overall results

Jimmy Wink with Wink Anti Tips discusses their new product to prevent end dump trailers over from tipping. Click here to listen https://www.bulkloads.com/tools/podcasts/this-new-device-is-a-game-changer-for-end-dump-trailers/

After 40 years in business, Ceres-based Timmerman Starlite Trucking, Inc. has closed. The trucking company specialized in transportation of livestock feed and other agricultural products. Company CEO Colby Bell said his staff of 30 employees were notified Friday and closure took effect immediately. The company provided hauling services to hundreds of clients in 11 Western states, Bell said, though its primary business was in California. The company has a fleet of 30 trucks plus equipment and tra

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A tractor-trailer hauling pig intestine has dumped its load across a downtown highway in Kansas City, Missouri. The Missouri Department of Transportation tweeted that at least three lanes of westbound Interstate 670 were closed Thursday because of the spill, and that an emergency response truck with a snow plow blade was sent to the scene to help clean up the mess. Transportation officials urged drivers to, "Find an alternate snout. Sorry, alternate route."

A costly tug of war has broken out over what is usually one of the Farm Belts most ubiquitous commodities: corn. Agribusiness companies, including Cargill Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Co. ADM +0.96% and Smithfield Foods Inc. are dangling hefty premiums to buy bushels of corn in places where unrelenting rain this spring prevented farmers from planting millions of acres.

Central Valley Ag has agreed to sell portion of their grain and feed production assets in West Point that are no longer being used by the cooperative. CVA decided to discontinue grain operations and feed production in West Point post-harvest last year. The property that CVA is selling to Prinz Grain includes the grain and feed facilities west of the alley behind the CVA retail store and gas station. Its comprised of the feed mill, along with about 220,000 bushel grain storage in the ce

Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE:ADM) and Cargill agree to swap some of their grain elevators in the Midwest, in a deal both companies say will increase efficiencies and fit their long-term strategies; financial terms are not disclosed.

FRANKFORT Officials broke ground on Adirondack Food and Fuel on Wednesday, a 5,300-square-foot convenience store and food court that will be the final tenant of the Frankfort 5S South Business Park. Jon Dillon, chief executive officer of parent company Higby Gold, Inc., said plans for the complex that will include amenities and services for truckers, commuters and residents have changed along the way.

KEARNEY, Neb.- Following overnight storms, most of Central Nebraska is encountering significant flooding impacting several roadways, including the Interstate. The Nebraska Department of Transportation is advising motorists this flooding event is rapidly evolving and to expect additional closures as water continues to move through the region. Plan your travel by checking 511 prior to leaving for your destination. 511 provides the most up to date travel conditions available through 511, Nebrask

Yet, despite irrationally exuberant investment in cannabis and industrial hemp growing, processing and sale, massive unrealized early stage funding opportunity exists for tackling environmental issues including organic and hazardous waste collection, processing and disposal.

DENVER Ardent Mills is expanding its organic capabilities with the acquisition of a grain elevator in Klamath Falls, Ore. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ardent said the elevator is located near its community mill in Stockton, Calif., and mix plant in Arlington, Ore., which will enhance the companys ability to support growers in the Pacific Northwest, partner with universities on breeding and serve its overall customer base.

A new report has predicted that global demand for agricultural products is projected to grow by 15% over the coming decade; however agricultural productivity growth is expected to increase slightly faster. According to a report conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UNs Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) this will cause inflation-adjusted prices of the major agricultural commodities to remain at or below their current

Orders of Heavy Trucks Collapsed by 70% but Sales Rose to Highest Level Since 2006: Theres a Lag. And Sales Are Next Now there is this phenomenon: Orders for Class 8 trucks the heavy trucks that move a big part of the goods across the US have collapsed by about 70% in May and June compared to a year earlier, to just over 10,000 truck-orders per month, the lowest in years. But sales of Class 8 trucks in June, as measured by deliveries to truck

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (FOX 13) - Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Thursday one of the country's most progressive autonomous vehicle bills, paving the way for self-driving vehicles - without a human inside - to operate on Florida roads. Until now, state law has required a person to be inside an autonomous vehicle, acting as a backup in the case of a malfunction. That will change on July 1. "This bill really affirms Florida's commitment to advancing a growing new era in transportation innovation,"

Louisiana will soon permit autonomous semitrailer trucks on its public roads, following a bill that Gov. John Bel Edwards signed last month. Its one of the first laws in any state to regulate self-driving commercial motor vehicles, a technology that is expected to upend the U.S. trucking industry within the next decade.

Global Autonomous Trucks Market reports provide in-depth analysis of Top Players, Geography, End users, Applications, Competitor analysis, Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Market Share, Import-Export data, Trends and Forecast. Firstly, the Autonomous Trucks Market Report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and chain structure. The Autonomous Trucks market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, co

Though significant use of the vehicles may be years away, Louisianas new regulations take effect Aug. 1, recently signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. The legislation received near-unanimous support from lawmakers who said they want to embrace the new technology, try to lure companies that build the trucks and get ready for self-driving vehicles starting to show up on roadways.

As Iowa continues to find itself leading the nation in battered bridges, some local officials have called attention to the size of the trucks on the roads. In June, more than 50 Iowa leaders including mayors, county supervisors and engineers, joined more than 1,000 officials across the country in a letter to Congress expressing opposition to proposals to allow for increased truck length or weight. Local communities and our residents are what drive this country. We work every da