Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

Truckers have for months been sounding the alarm about a "bloodbath" in their $800 billion industry. This year alone, some 2,500 truck drivers have lost their jobs as trucking companies large and small declare bankruptcy. Major carriers like J.B. Hunt, Knight-Swift, and Schneider have been forced to cut their annual outlooks. A slew of other indicators have underlined turmoil in trucking. Transport research groups reported that the volume of trucks purchased in July fell to its lowest level in n

VINCENNES, Ind. Leaders from Vincennes University celebrated the grand opening of a new Agricultural Center Aug. 5. The 45,000-square-foot facility houses the Vincennes University/Purdue University agriculture, horticulture, agribusiness, John Deere Tech and precision agriculture programs. Vincennes University is one of 16 colleges in the nation with an exclusive John Deere partnership that educates technicians using the companys latest technology.

The Trump administration took a key step Wednesday toward relaxing federal rules that govern the length of time truck drivers can spend behind the wheel, a move long sought by the trucking industry but opposed by safety advocates who warn it could lead to more highway crashes.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency of the Transportation Department, issued proposed changes to the "hours of service" rules , which dictate breaks truckers are required to take, and their time on

Despite having a great year in 2018, the trucking industry has been struggling this year, leading at least eight trucking companies -- many of them smaller companies -- to fold in the last eight months. Those closures have left approximately 2,659 drivers out of jobs, according to a report from Business Insider, which used data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Most recently, Carney Trucking Co. closed on July 31, according to Freight Waves. According to Business Insider,

A new Profession Intelligence Report released by Stats and Reports with the title Global Autonomous Trucks Market can grow into the most important market in the world that has played an important role in making progressive impacts on the global economy. Global Autonomous Trucks Market Report presents a dynamic vision to conclude and research market size, market hope and competitive environment. The study is derived from primary and secondary statistical data and consists of qualitative

In a study with implications for logistics developments tied to rail access, the pricing advantage of shipping by rail is declining, says IHS Markit. The latest quarterly U.S. Domestic Intermodal Savings Index, produced by IHS Markit’s Journal of Commerce (JOC), shows that U.S. domestic intermodal shippers don’t save as much by converting loads from the highway to the rails as they did in recent years.

With the stroke of her pen on Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey ceremonially signed a law that aims to reduce human trafficking by training truck drivers to spot it. Sponsored by Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, the law requires that new commercial drivers licensees be trained on how to detect and respond to human trafficking.

Grain marketing is a vital component of a profitable farm operation and is one of the top challenges farmers wish they could overcome, according to a new report from FarmLogs. In the 2019 State of Grain Marketing Report, FarmLogs surveyed more than 1,000 farmers across the country on their grain marketing habits and strategies. This new focus on overcoming marketing challenges is a shift from the 2018 State of Grain Marketing report, says Jesse Vollmar, CEO and co-founder of FarmLogs.

Earlier this year, Ingrid De Ryck, vice president of procurement and sustainability for beer giant Anheuser-Busch, rode across a stage in Scottsdale, Arizona, on top of a bright red wagon filled with beer boxes and pulled by the Budweiser Clydesdale horses. De Ryck's dramatic entrance in front of hundreds of her peers and the media was a teaser for an even more impressive deal she announced a short time later at the event (toting an on-brand bright red Budweiser in hand). Her proclama

Truck drivers have been clobbered with falling rates in 2019. There has also been a spate of trucking companies that have gone bankrupt. And a classic sign that more trucking bankruptcies are on the horizon is emerging increased delinquencies in paying off fuel cards. Pilot Flying J, one of the largest trucking fuel card providers and Americas largest truck stop provider, confirmed Business Insider that theres been weakness in the credit market.

LANSING Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday she's looking into millions of dollars in vehicle registration fees the state has paid to an arm of the Michigan Trucking Association and she's not sure she will vote to approve the grant when it comes before the State Administrative Board Tuesday. "I'm going to be sitting down with my team this afternoon to talk about that," Whitmer told the Free Press Monday after inspecting a Lansing bridge that needs $3 million in urgent repairs.

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The owner of the Portgordon maltings, near Buckie, has blamed higher grain prices at Harvest 2018 and caution from distillers for a drop in pre-tax profits last year.

CHICAGO, Aug 11 (Reuters) - As severe weather ravaged the U.S. Midwest this spring, agricultural software company Sentera was swamped with frustrated farmers and traders uploading drone videos of waterlogged crop fields. Farmers wanted the Minneapolis-based data company to help analyze how much acreage could still be planted, and spot damaged fields after floods kept farming states underwater for weeks.

Data on producer prices shows that wholesale inflation pressure was nearly nonexistent in July. Industry detail showed broad-based declines in trucking rates, and yearly it is likely to turn negative in upcoming months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the producer price index (PPI) rose 0.2 percent in July from Junes levels. This fell in line with consensus estimates and follows two consecutive months of 0.1 gains in May and June. Overall results during the month were help

FAIRMONT The Martin County Economic Development Authority heard some big news Monday from Fairmont economic development coordinator Linsey Preuss, who presented them with a proposed $100 million project at the CHS soybean-processing plant in Fairmont.

Over 90 percent of carriers are already running electronic logging device (ELDs), but a small percentage of fleets continue to run automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs). These older telematics devices must be retired in favor of ELDs by December 16.

Thats the lesson from American crop handler Andersons Inc., which benefited from market volatility and merchandising activities in the second quarter. Adjusted earnings came in at 98 cents a share, 46% higher than the average analyst estimate. Andersons shares rose the most in a year.

A new self-driving truck startup recently announced that they are using the most heavily travelled freight corridor in Texas to deliver goods to customers. On August 6, Kodiak Robotics announced via blog post that they are using self-driving technology to operate semi trucks on the more than 200 mile stretch of I-45 between Dallas and Houston.

A new facility that produces freeze-dried protein ingredients for the pet food industry will be unveiled in Seward, Tuesday, August 6th. The Scoular's Company will oversee production, and they say the new state-of-the-art facility will increase production for the company. The company has invested in Nebraska for 127 years.

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Forty years ago this fall Wayne Cryts stored his beans in an elevator near New Madrid, MO. When the elevator went bankrupt a multi-year battle began for Wayne to get the right to sell those beans. Hundreds of farmers came to his aid, crossed lines of federal marshalls and brought the story to national attention. We traveled to Waynes home for a look back at the event.

About 97% of heavy-duty trucks rely on petroleum diesel but only 50% of all convenience stores sell it. This lack of availability has been a problem for heavy-duty truck drivers, and thats where biodiesel comes in. From 2012 to 2018, biodiesel consumption increased by 111%. With fuel costs rising for truckers and tight fuel margins at convenience stores, the desire for biodiesel will continue to grow. The increased demand comes from the many benefits biodiesel usage brings, such as low

The Missouri Department of Transportation knows the continued road closures due to flooding and flood damage are impacting lives, including its own workers in these affected areas, and MoDOT is working to repair and restore mobility to routes as waters recede. Local maintenance crews are clearing debris and repairing shoulders and minor road surface issues as they are able. More extensive work, including debris removal, hazardous storage tank removal, significant roadway and shoulder repairs

An extensive analysis of the Southeast Asia Freight Trucking market strategy of the leading companies in the precision of import/export consumption, supply and demand figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. The report starts by an introduction about the company profiling and a comprehensive review about the strategy concept and the tools that can be used to assess and analyze strategy. It also analyzes the companys strategy in the light of Porters Value Chain, Porter&rs

Legislation that would increase the minimum insurance liability coverage required for interstate trucking from $750,000 to almost $5 million would put more small owner-operators out of business, independent operators claim. In a July 29 letter warning against the proposal, which was introduced in the U.S. Congress on July 16, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) told lawmakers that while the bills supporters contend it would increase safety by weeding out unsafe d

The U.S. DOT announced Tuesday it has increased fines across the board for violations of federal trucking regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is required by Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 to adjust fine amounts each year based on inflation. A final rule that will publish in the Federal Register Wednesday, July 31, makes the new fine amounts effective immediately. The 2015 Act required FMCSA and other DOT agencies to issue an

The National Grain and Feed Association, which represents more than 1,100 grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies throughout the country, told the Senate Agriculture Committee today that Congress should consider several changes including one involving an issue with China when it reauthorizes the U.S. Grain Standards Act. At the hearing, Bruce Sutherland, president of Michigan Agriculture Commodities in Lansing, Mich., testified on NGFAs beha

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. grains merchant and food processor Archer Daniels Midland Co on Thursday reported a 41.3% drop in second-quarter adjusted profit and missed Wall Street expectations, after being battered by the U.S.-China trade war and severe U.S. weather this spring that caused it significant supply-chain woes.

A federal jury awarded CRST Expedited $15.5 million in damages in connection with reported truck driver poaching by Arizona-based Swift Transportation. The judgment Swift must pay, ordered on July 23, breaks down into $3 million for interference with drivers contracts, $5 million in punitive damages and $7.5 million for unjust enrichment. Cedar Rapids-based CRST sued Swift in March 2017, alleging it actively was recruiting and hiring drivers CRST paid to put through its training progra

CONNECT SHARE TWEET EMAIL COMMENTS Comdata, a Fleetcor company, announced a new National Tire Discount Program that gives trucking fleets substantial discounts on commercial tires. Under the new program, Comdata is joining with industry-leading tire manufacturers to offer Comdata fuel card customers access to National Account pricing on truck, trailer, and retread tires nationwide. Discounts can average over $200 less than the lowest advertised tire cost. As a long-time advocate for fl

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is increasing fines for violating trucking regulations. Effective on Wednesday, July 31, the FMCSA will increase the amount that truckers must pay for violating regulations. The fine increase is due to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015, which requires that federal agencies increase fines each year to account for inflation. You can see the fine increase amounts in the table below.

Summers Trucking employees gathered for breakfast Saturday morning at the Ephrata American Legion. After ham and eggs and all the fixings, the 91 employees learned that the Summers family owners, Becky, John and Ken, had transferred their shares in the business to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). With that move, the Summers management triad made those 91 employees and their vacationing co-workers part owners of the business. Before she got around to the big announcement, Becky talked

As July comes to a close, about 8.6 percent of carriers are still holding onto their automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs). However, the latest data indicates that regional and super-regional carriers are continuing to close the compliance gap between themselves and nationwide carriers. The 8.6 percent figure is the three-week moving average of carriers that report they are still running AOBRDs during a weekly telephone survey conducted by CarrierLists, in conjunction with FreightWaves

Despite an unusually wet spring followed by an unusually cool June, Americas corn farmers planted even more than they did last year. U.S. farmers have planted 91.7 million acres of corn in 2019, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Thats about 69 million football fields of corn and 3 percent more corn than last year, far more acres than the next largest crop, soybeans. USDAs Economic Research Service (ERS) publishes a monthly Feed Outlook repo

She gets dressed, drives her Peterbilt truck to one of the dozens of frac mines around the Permian Basin, is loaded with 50,000 pounds of sand, drives 100 miles or more through crowded bumpy roads and finally delivers the sand to frac well sites somewhere in the vicinity of Odessa or Midland, Texas. It may seem repetitive, but to make oilfield money you have stay on the grind, Sizer said. Driving one of those trucks is a very exciting feeling, it makes you feel free, it m

The lines of colorful and polished heavy-duty work trucks parked outside Trails Travel Center in southern Minnesota covered the gamut of freight hauling. But they shared a common theme: professional pride in trucking. Sure, the 37th annual Shell Rotella Super Rigs competition offered cash prizes in its beauty contest. Even without winning a category, every truck had a chance to be included in Shells annual calendar that adorns the walls of truck maintenance facilities and is a c

If all goes as planned in August, a freight train will chug down a track near Pueblo, Colo.entirely controlled by computers. Humans in the locomotive will merely observe, as the latest in artificial intelligence and sensor technology puts thousands of tons of steel through its paces. The experiment, on 48 miles of track at the railroad industrys advanced testing ground, is a big step in the push for autonomous train technology. The outcome could fundamentally alter the railroad

QuikQ, LLC, an independent full-service fuel payment solutions provider founded in 2008, has announced strategic investments by truck stop and truck maintenance industry leaders Love's Travel Stops and TravelCenters of America, LLC. With the financial backing of Loves and TA, QuikQ is strategically poised for continued growth and expansion in the fuel payments marketplace, where the Tennessee-based company has a nationwide network of more than 3,400 chain and independent merchant locat

Building mentally tough teams requires mentally tough employees. In our latest whitepaper,our research team defines the psychological advantage of six essential personality traits that make up mental toughness. And while some people are more naturally inclined to possess these traits, mental toughness is also a skill that can be developed by honing in on these key characteristics and building upon them over time. Sharpening your teams skill sets can improve their performance and outcom

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UTAH COUNTY The section of U.S. Highway 89 has been reopened after flooding and mudslides covered and damaged parts of the road in southeastern Utah County on Friday. U.S. 89 was closed Friday night between Birdseye and Thistle during and after mud and water covered the highway, trapping dozens of drivers. Utah Department of Transportation spokesman John Gleason told Fox 13 that it was opened Sunday evening but drivers should still expect periodic closures and delays as crews

Customers of the major U.S. railroads claim that many of the service headaches and added costs they've increasingly had to endure over the last three years could be avoided if they were to be made partners in the carriers' move to overhaul rail operations. This lack of collaboration with the railroads was a major discussion point among a group of rail customers and industry associations invited to a shipper roundtable hosted by a subcommittee of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructur

We officially pushed the new Bulkloads Mobile app live! This updated version will completely replace the old app that's installed on your phone. Here's what to do: If your phone has automatic app updates turned on, the current Bulkloads app you have installed will automatically update in the background. If you'd like to download the new app now, please click on one of the links below depending on which type of phone you have. iPHONE

CLEVELAND Trucks were still coming and going Wednesday at NAT Services along Grant Avenue in Cleveland. The company employed Paul Podgurski, Jr., who police identified as the driver of a dump truck that dropped thousands of scraps of metal along I-77 North on Tuesday. The accident happened just before evening rush hour and blew out the tires of at least 100 cars and trucks. No one was hurt.

A proposed delay of the compliance date for two key provisions within the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations final rule on Entry-Level Driver Training is not going over well in trucking circles. FMCSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on July 18 that seeks to extend the compliance date from February 7, 2020, to February 7, 2022 for (1) when driver-training providers must upload entry-level driver training certification information into the Training Provider Registry and

Truckers haul 71 percent of Americas freight tonnage, keeping retailers supplied and in business but not without challenges. Slim margins, emergency needs and mounting daily expenses can halt day-to-day operations and retail shipments as truckers can wait more than a month for invoice payments, says Apex Capital Chief Strategy Officer Brian Carlgren. In this months Faster Payments Tracker, Carlgren explains how fast, mobile-based factoring can help trucke

A federal judge has ruled that Fitzgerald Truck Parts and Sales can proceed with its lawsuit disputing an IRS claim that the glider truck maker owes more than $64 million in back tractor-trailer federal excise taxes, penalties and interest. In a memorandum order July 15, Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr., of the Middle District of Tennessee, rejected a request by the federal government to dismiss Fitzgeralds lawsuit. In its lawsuit filed in February, Fitzgerald charged tha

As FOX31 has previously reported, federal law only requires Castellano 03 Trucking to carry $750,000 in liability insurance, which is exactly what the company carries, according to a federal document obtained by the Problem Solvers. New legislation submitted by U.S. House Reps. Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia of Illinois and Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania would change that. The two Democrats have introduced the INSURANCE act, a measure that would increase the insurance minimums to be updated with inf

(DTN) Black smoke continues to roll off an outdoor soybean pile for the tenth day in a row at a Gavilon grain elevator surrounded by floodwaters in northwest Missouri. The area between the Missouri River and Interstate 29 around Phelps City, Missouri, remains flooded by an unplugged levee breach on the river. Local roads also remain underwater or were heavily damaged from floods that began in mid-March. So far, only local railroad repair workers and law enforcement have been able to u

An Arizona community college is offering an unusual new course that promises to train truck drivers for a job that doesnt really exist yet. Tucson, Arizonas Pima Community College is currently offering a 12 credit course that will turn students into certified Autonomous Vehicle Driver & Operations Specialists. The course promises to teach students about the basics of computer hardware components, fundamental electronics, safety, health and environ

SYRACUSE, KAS. A partnership between Scoular and Cactus Feeders, Inc. will bring a new daily source of feed to dairy producers in western Kansas. Cactus Feeders, Amarillo, Texas, is building a steamflake mill near Syracuse that should be completed by December. The mill will establish a supply of dairy feed for Scoulars southwest Kansas customers.

LONGMONT, Colo. Weve all tried different methods of getting around a busted-out taillight from red film to red tape or taped-on plastic. But a Longmont police sergeant spotted a new one on Monday: a red sports drink.

We talk to truck drivers everyday that deal with distracted motorists on the road. We had a truck driver last week that was ran off the road into a ditch from a motorist and had no proof to show. Protect yourself with a dash camera at a low cost. Ours is simple to install and includes everything you need. Call us today for more information at 800-518-9240 or email [email protected].

The Chinese government has given the go-ahead for five companies to buy up to 3 million tons of U.S. soybeans free of retaliatory import tariffs as trade negotiations between the two nations continue, according to people familiar with the situation.

Alan Ehnat has spent his life on the road. But even the spry 87 year old shook his head in surprise when he added up the years and found it had been more than six decades behind the wheel. Asked about mileage? Lets just say millions. A Long Island, N.Y. native, Ehnat says he wanted to drive a truck since age five. He actually started behind the wheel in 1956 at age 24, shortly after returning from military service as a Navy Seabee in Morocco and Cuba. Over the course of his long career

If you believe the latest hype about technology, youd think that blockchain technology (BCT) is going to transform every business by next Wednesday. Of course, thats not the case, but the agrifood system seems custom-designed for the technology. More and more food products are branded and accompanied by a variety of certification schemes. For instance, organic production is concerned with verifying sustainable practices. Without verifiable and data rich assets, unqualified count

The idea that road might be a zero carbon alternative to rail sounds counter-intuitive, even to convinced petrolheads, but the situation could arise, according to a new report for the government entitled Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce: Final Report to the Minister for Rail.