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Mar 13, 2015
Four Things Shipping Companies Don't Know about Surety Bonds

by Todd Bryant Are surety bonds becoming a chore for your shipping company? With all the tasks on a managers to-do list, it may feel like bonding requirements are just one more thing to take care of. However, the more you know about surety bonds, the more value they can bring to your shipping company. Even though you are legally required to have them, most shipping companies are still in the dark about surety bonds: how they work, how to reduce costs and how to make

Mar 13, 2015
Truckers Not Welcome in Ontario!
Mar 13, 2015
Ergon BioFuels Enters into Comprehensive Service Arrangement with Gavilon
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Mar 13, 2015
Four Things Shipping Companies Don't Know about Surety Bonds

by Todd Bryant Are surety bonds becoming a chore for your shipping company? With all the tasks on a managers to-do list, it may feel like bonding requirements are just one more thing to take care of. However, the more you know about surety bonds, the more value they can bring to your shipping company. Even though you are legally required to have them, most shipping companies are still in the dark about surety bonds: how they work, how to reduce costs and how to make

Mar 13, 2015
Truckers Not Welcome in Ontario!

A list posted to the website Smart-Trucking.com highlights reasons why Ontario hates truckers. The whole list plus more can be found here. Do you agree with the points made? Heres the list: It isnt difficult to recognize the signs that indicate truckers are not welcome in Ontario, Canada. Its a Canadian province with an extremely high volume of domestic and U.S. truck

Mar 13, 2015
Ergon BioFuels Enters into Comprehensive Service Arrangement with Gavilon

VICKSBURG, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ergon BioFuels LLC, (Ergon BioFuels) a subsidiary of Ergon, Inc., today announced that it has entered into a comprehensive services arrangement with Gavilon to originate and market grain at the companys Vicksburg, Miss. facility. Under the terms of the agreement, Gavilon will operate the 3.2-million-bushel warehouse at the Ergon BioFuels facility and begin buying

Mar 12, 2015
Are 3,000 more heavy freight trucks headed our way?

Trucks, trucks and more trucks. A plan by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council that could recommend redirecting 3,000 heavy freight trucks per year from I-95 in Connecticut to the North Fork via the Cross Sound Ferry has Orient residents up in arms. Especially since the freight management plan could be approved without a local public hearing. This plan is off everyones radar, said Orient Association president

Mar 12, 2015
Paoli Coop, Scoular partner

WRITTEN BY HOLYOKE ENTERPRISE Paoli Farmers Cooperative and the Scoular Company jointly announce that the two companies have formed an agreement to partner on grain marketing and handling activities at the cooperatives facility in Paoli. Weve always been committed to serving area producers and staying current to meet their needs, from updati

Mar 12, 2015
New Central Kan. grain elevator set to open before harvest

Great Bend Post GREAT BEND -Bartlett Grain broke ground east of Great Bend last July for the location of their new grain elevator. The bulk of the structure is built but there are still electronics to be installed. Manager Andrew Fullerton says Bartlett Grain is right on schedule to be up and running by May 1, before the summer harvest. Now it is just a matter of getting their name out to the public to make them aware they are open. Folks that farm in the

Mar 11, 2015
Bunge buys assets of Heartland Harvest

Bunge North America said Friday it has purchased the assets of Heartland Harvest Inc., a North American producer of die cut pellets used to make extruded foods. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Heartland Harvest at its Kankakee, Illinois, facility produces die cut pellets made of starches that are expanded through popping, baking or frying to create food products. Bunge said it will keep the majority of employees working at the plant. "Consumer demand for innovative

Mar 11, 2015
Legislature asks Congress to raise truck weight limits

Idaho Legislature asks Congress to raise truck weight limits The Idaho Legislature has passed a memorial bill expressing its desire that the federal government increase truck weight limits on Idaho's interstate highways to 129,000 pounds. BOISE Idahos Hous

Mar 11, 2015
Trial lawyers vs. truckers: a feud over trucks, crashes, insurance and devastation

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It's truckers versus trial lawyers -- and the truckers sure aren't happy. The federal government is considering making commercial truck drivers or their employers raise the minimum amount of insurance they must carry. The $750,000 minimum insurance under federal law has not changed in 30 years. "We share the road with these guys every day," says Matthew Rizzi, an Akron attorney. "They can share some

Mar 11, 2015
President of trucking research institute indicates capacity shortage could get worse

Rebecca Brewster, president and chief operations officer of the American Transportation Research Institute, spoke with Stifel Nicolaus analysts about the key factors affecting the trucking industry. The American Trucking Research Institute identifies and analyzes the top challenges in the industry throughout the coun

Mar 11, 2015
Faster Freight Payments with Fuel Discounts up to $.20/gallon

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 t

Mar 10, 2015
Wrightspeed’s Ian Wright set to Electrify Trucking

Ian Wright, one of Tesla Motors co-founders, is setting his sights on transforming the trucking industry. He and his company, Wrightspeed, are set to electrify trucks, and not just one truck at a time. Elon Musk and company have transformed the way we view electric vehicles. From glorified golf carts, we now see them as zippy and sexy eco warriors on the road. It makes much more sense (economically) to go electric with trucks than with the family car.

Mar 10, 2015
5 reasons to start a freight brokerage in 2015

Sam Jermy - Logistics - 15 hours ago Follow @SupplyChainD on Twitter. For those who have been thinking about opening a freight brokerage in 2015, theres good news. Positive tr

Mar 10, 2015
Feds take trucker off the road

MITCHELL, S.D. A South Dakota one-man trucking company has been ordered to stop all commercial operations after safety violations were found in a federal investigation last year. After an unsatisfactory safety review, Roth Trucking, owned by Lonnie Roth of Mitchell, has been shut down by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration after it found repeated instances of unsafe driving, including the use of alco

Mar 9, 2015
rial closer for man accused of setting fire to truck with another man inside

A Raleigh, N.C. man accused of setting a truck on fire with a Homestead man inside it nearly two years ago in Marathon might finally go to trial in May. Stuart Collins, 29, has been held at the Stock Island Detention Center since pleading not guilty to attempted second-degree murder, second-degree arson and criminal mischief stemming from the July 12, 2013, fire outside JJ's Doghouse, a bar. His bond is $1.05 million. Collins originally faced five charges but acting Monroe Count

Mar 9, 2015
Bunge purchases specialty extrusion business

ST. LOUIS, March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bunge North America, the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG), announced that it has purchased the assets of Heartland Harvest, Inc., a North American leader in the production of die cut pellets used to make extruded foods. Financial terms of the acquisition have not been released. Heartland Harvest produces die cut pellets made of a variety of starches which are

Mar 9, 2015
Trucker drove 90 mph during ice storm after accident

HANCOCK, N.Y. (AP) State police say a New York City truck driver drove 90 mph during an ice storm after failing to stop when he collided with another tractor-trailer on an upstate highway. Troopers say 24-year-old Juan Torres of Queens was driving west on Route 17 Wednesday morning when his tractor-trailer jack-knifed and hit a truck th

Mar 7, 2015
Ex-Oil Patch trucking company owner sentenced for smashing into wife's car

HALLIDAY, N.D. A judge has sentenced a former Oil Patch trucking company owner to five years in prison, with two years suspended, for intentionally slamming his car into his wifes, causing life-threatening injuries. George Misrasi, 58, gave up what likely would have been an appeal with the sentence deal as there was scientific evidence that went

Mar 6, 2015
Trucking Safety Chief Defends Driver Rest Regulations

The trucking industrys overseer is giving little ground to critics who asked Congress to loosen U.S. regulations and revise a rating system designed to root out unsafe carriers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations acting chief, Scott Darling, defendedrules ai

Mar 6, 2015
FMCSA asked by National Grain and Feed Association to reconsider raising insurance requirements on truckers

In recently submitted

Mar 6, 2015
Get Paid Faster and Save on Fuel Costs

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 t

Mar 6, 2015
30 fire departments called to fight fire at Deerfield grain mill

DEERFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Approximately 120 firefighters from 30 different communities in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire worked through Friday morning to put out a fire at an old, vacant grain mill in the Franklin County town of Deerfield. The fire call came in at around 3:00 A.M. Flames were contained mostly to the top floor of the at least four story building, according to Amherst Assistant

Mar 5, 2015
Two South Dakota grain companies announce merger plans

By: Jonathan Knutson, Agweek Two South Dakota-based grain companies announced Tuesday they want to merge. North Central Farmers Elevator and Wheat Growers plan to unify into a new cooperative, subject to a vote of the full membership of both cooperatives. The boards of directors of both cooperatives already have unanimously appro

Mar 5, 2015
U.S. shipping industry rate revenue expected to rise in 2015

Activity in the national shipping industry was likely up almost 3% in January, according to the Cass Freight Index. A national trucking index was up 1.2% in January. Both reports indicate the shipping industry recovery seen in 2014 is continuing into 2015. The Cass Freight Index reported that shipments were up 2.7% in January compared to January 2014, and freight expenditures were up 3%. However, January shipments were 4.7% below December numbers, and expenditures were down 5.7% compar

Mar 5, 2015
Shipper or broker: Who’s on the hook?

Q: Im in business helping carriers collect their freight charges from shippers when brokers and third-party logistics providers dont pay those charges. I have had a lot of success. In most cases, the shippers and their attorneys initially refuse to pay on the ground that theyve already made payment to the brokers, but when I challenge them they usually admit they owe the bills and send me a check. S

Mar 5, 2015
Bill puts reins in truckers' liability

Arkansas lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday to protect trucking companies from being held responsible for accidents that result from the negligence of a shipping company. At the request of the Arkansas Trucking Association, Senate Bill 755 was introduced by Sen. Jon Woods and Rep. Micah Neal, both Springdale Republicans. Shannon Newton, the association's president, described the bill as the group's No. 1 priority during the current legislative session. <

Mar 4, 2015
More than $4 million in gold stolen from N.C. transportation company

(WITN) Over $4 Million in gold was stolen from a transportation company's truck on Sunday after it broke down on I-95 in Wilson County, North Carolina. The two armed guards working for the company, Transvalue Inc., said that they were approached from behind by three armed men while they were stopped for mechanical issues. The men, who pulled over at the same time as the broken down truck, drove a white van and allegedly ordered the guards to the ground, binding

Mar 4, 2015
Trucking company fined over violations at Wallingford facility

WALLINGFORD >> An Ohio-based freight trucking company is facing $86,900 in fines after federal safety investigators determined that employees at the companys North Plains Industrial Road terminal were inadequately trained to handle a chemical spill that occurred there last October. The U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the proposed fines against R+L Carriers on Monday. R+L officials now have 15

Mar 3, 2015
US House revives bill to set standards for hiring trucking companies

Companies tendering freight to U.S. truckers would have to check the carriers' federal registration, insurance levels and safety rating before using them under a bill introduced in Congress this week. The bill would create a national hiring standard and clarify the legal responsibility of U.S. brokers, third-party logistics operators and shippers, its supporters claim. The bill is identical to one

Mar 3, 2015
Truckers: There's no need for speed

Central Wisconsin-area trucking firms and drivers aren't too eager to see the passage of a bill to increase the speed limit in some parts of the state to 70 mph. The bill would allow the state Department of Transportation to increase the speed limit in approved areas. State Rep. John Spiros, R-Marshfield, has proposed an amendment to set a lower speed for commercial vehicles. The Assembly transportation committee conducted a hearing where there was little opposition to the bill.

Mar 3, 2015
Freight Factoring at the Lowest Rates for the Bulk Industry

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 t

Mar 2, 2015
Heavier trucks: Safety threat or common sense?

A bill that would increase the weight limits for trucks hauling freight on Minnesota highways and county roads is attracting a lot of debate at the state Capitol. The bill would allow trucks up to 97,000 pounds spread over seven axles, more than 8 tons heavier than the current 80,000-pound limit. The proposal has the support of the aggregate and ready-mix industry, which points out that surrounding states and Canada have higher weight limits and Minnesota already allows some hea

Mar 2, 2015
Ag Study Shows Increasing Trucking Weights Have No Adverse Impact To Safety And Provide Economic Benefits

ASA Urges Congress to Boost Truck Capacity in Highway Bill USAgNet - 02/27/2015 The American Soybean Association is touting a research project released yesterday by the Soy Transportation Coalition that examines the effects of increasing truck weight limits on federal highways. The project, titled, 'Heavier Semis: A Good Idea?' was funded by the soybean checkoff and is an update of a 2009 report that looks at the impact o

Mar 2, 2015
Shippers conditions improve thanks to diesel pricing, HOS rules

FTRs Shippers Conditions Index for December 2014 improved to a near neutral reading of -0.6, reflecting the rapid drop in diesel prices along with positive capacity impacts from reversal of some of the Hours of Service rules, according to the research firm. FTR expects the conditions for shippers to deteriorate in 2015, under the pressure of building regulatory drag and good freight growth straining capacity. Howeve

Feb 28, 2015
New York Trucker Allegedly Avoided Tolls Using James Bond-Like Device

By Barbara Goldberg NEW YORK (Reuters) - A trucker accused of using a James Bond-style retractable bumper to evade a $95 toll on the George Washington Bridge has been charged with using burglary tools, police said on Thursday. Hauling a load of candy across the bridge toward New York City on Wednesday, Pablo Ortega flipped a switch on his dashboard as he approached the toll gates over the Hudson River. That engaged a device that tilted up the truck's bumper and attached lic

Feb 28, 2015
Want to get Paid Quicker with Fuel Card Savings.

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 t

Feb 28, 2015
Truckers say push to raise insurance requirements is bad for highway safety, bad for small businesses

(Grain Valley, Mo., Feb. 27, 2015) Raising insurance minimum requirements for interstate trucking companies would make highways less safe and harm small-business truckers unnecessarily. That is the message delivered by way of public comments submitted by professional truck drivers and owners of small-business trucking companies. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had sought comments to an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for financial respon

Feb 27, 2015
Bill would license, regulate grain dealers

A bill was filed Wednesday (Feb. 25) that would let the State Plant Board require grain dealers to post surety bonds, obtain a license, and temporarily rescind that license without a hearing. Senate Bill 555, the Arkansas Grain Dealers Act, is a reaction to the loss by Arkansas farmers of millions of dollars unpaid by Brinkley-based dealer Turner Grain Merchandising. Butch Calhoun, Arkansas' secretary of agriculture,

Feb 27, 2015
Iowa Legislature approves fuel tax, truck fee increases

By Keith Goble, Land Line state legislative editor The state of Iowa is in line for its first fuel tax increase in more than a quarter-century. Permit fees for certain truck loads could also be on the rise. Iowa lawmakers are working on possible solutions to address an annual transportation funding shortfall estimated at $215 million a year. Gov. Terry Branstad has called on

Feb 27, 2015
Speak up, drivers! How do shippers treat you?

TORONTO How do shippers and consignees routinely treat truck drivers on pickups and deliveries? The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) wants to hear from you on the matter. The OTA has launched the first-ever Operation UpGRADE survey, a five-minute survey that asks drivers to rate the best and worst facilities based on their performance and treatment of drivers. The surveys aim is to raise awareness of truck driver treatment among supply chain participants while recogniz

Feb 27, 2015
How To Be A Better Shipper

This is a REPRINT of an article I had printed in INBOUND LOGISTICS about 7 years ago. When employing a carrier to move loads, shippers often do not realize how big a part they actually play in the delivery of the shipment. When shipping loads, it is incumbent on all involved parties to provide accurate, complete, and detailed information to ensure the end customer receives the shipment in a timely manner. If you are entrusting a carrier to hand

Feb 26, 2015
Trucking companies target jobless oil workers

U.S. oil company job cuts that cost machinery operator Drew Sanford his spot at Halliburton Co. are shaping up as a boon for trucking companies desperate for big-rig drivers. Already equipped with a commercial licence, the 30-year-old Sanford left North Dakota and landed at Oklahoma City-based Stevens Trucking Co. He is sometimes on the road as long as four days at a stretch, but the working conditions are good, he said, and "I'll probably just stick here for a while." His caree

Feb 26, 2015
Snow removal bill would help but trucking industry will kill it

The bill requiring snow removal from trucks is a great start but it's also a joke. Fines will be between $25 to $75. Really? I do not see 95 percent of the drivers adhering to this. The time it takes to clean off the trailer will cost the driver more money than the fine. The fine should be at least $600, with $500 going to the damaged automobile if there is one. That $500 will at least cover the deductible to have the automobile fixed. As I have said about other trucking issues

Feb 26, 2015
Woman sentenced to five years in prison for ripping off trucking company

By Greg Grisolano, Land Line staff writer A former bookkeeper at a California trucking company was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to skimming almost $3.5 million from the company since 1998. Patricia A. Francisco, 62, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Cormac J. Carney to 63 months in prison. Francisco pleaded guilty to four coun

Feb 26, 2015
Complying with FSMA: Direct drive technology

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that each year approximately 48 million people get sick,128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illness. To combat these effects, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) aims to restructure the food safety system to one of prevention rather than react

Feb 25, 2015
Hello CARB, Are You Listening?

John Dutra is a one-man band, running his custom-upfit 1991 Isuzu FSR for construction work in the South Bay of San Francisco. Dutra couldnt have known when he bought his truck so many years ago that today hed be staring down a government mandate to (in all practicality) buy a cleaner truck. Chris Brown is the top editor at Business Fleet Magazine, a sister publication to HDT under the Fleet Group banner at Bobit Business Media. Business Fleet is aimed at small private fl

Feb 25, 2015
Rogue truckers pushing the limits on Oregon highways

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Rogue truckers are pushing their limits and putting your safety at risk, from reckless driving for better travel times to taking stimulants to stay awake. Sergeant Yvette Shephard has been on the job with Oregon State Police for 21 years. She spends much of her day behind the wheel of her police cruiser. Her dad was a trucker; her brother is a trucker. KATU's Shellie Bailey-Shah asks her if she thinks truckers are better on the road than average drivers.

Feb 25, 2015
Driverless big rigs: new technologies aim to make trucking greener and safer

In the opening of Steven Spielbergs 1971 film Duel, an impatient salesman gets stuck behind a rattling, soot-belching tractor-trailer on a lonely stretch of California highway. Just before the trucks driver is revealed to be a homicidal maniac, the salesman has time to gripe about the vehicles billowing emissions. Talk about pollution, he coughs as he is enveloped in the rigs thick, black smoke. Pollution in the trucking industry has long been

Feb 24, 2015
Thieves hitting tractor-trailers in Eastern Arkansas

The Trucker News Services 2/23/2015 WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. Since late December, more than 80 tractor-trailers have been broken into in three East Arkansas counties, theArkansas Democrat-Gazettereported Monday, resulting in at least 15 thefts. The paper said several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies were investigating the robberies, which took place in St. Francis, Crittenden and Mississippi counties.

Feb 24, 2015
Frac Sand Business is Still Booming

Select Sands Develops Fine Mesh Project Close to Well Heads According to a recent business article in Wisconsins Journal Sentinel, The state's sand patch shows few signs that crashing oil prices are having an effect. Plants and mines are still looking for workers, and development plans for new sand mines are moving forward. Wisconsin is the USAs top producer of sand used to unlock energy held in shale rock formations &

Feb 23, 2015
Trucking industry wants bigger loads? Then pay more for roads

This session has promised to debate our need for transportation dollars. Both parties agree, but differ on amount and extent. But it seems a little counterproductive to watch a bill that would increase the maximum truck load from 80,000 to 97,000 pounds weave its way through the legislature. The bill has bipartisan support and could very well pass this session. My question is: why is increasing loads on trucks moving faster than a comprehensive transportation package to f

Feb 21, 2015
ATA Looks To Lower Minimum Driver Age To 18

The American Trucking Association has announced their agenda for 2015 which predictably lists HOS fixes and highway funding at the top of their priorities, but they also have one goal thats a bit of a surprise. They want to lower the minimum driver age to 18 years old. Currently, the federally mandated minimum driver age for Class A CDL drivers is 21 years old. There are multiple reasons for this, but the prevailing logic is that driving is dangerous,

Feb 21, 2015
ATA Looks To Lower Minimum Driver Age To 18

The American Trucking Association has announced their agenda for 2015 which predictably lists HOS fixes and highway funding at the top of their priorities, but they also have one goal thats a bit of a surprise. They want to lower the minimum driver age to 18 years old. Currently, the federally mandated minimum driver age for Class A CDL drivers is 21 years old. There are multiple reasons for this, but the prevailing logic is that driving is dangerous,

Feb 21, 2015
Former trucker from Monona awarded millions in insurance case

A jury in western Iowa has awarded a former semi truck driver $25 million in punitive damages in connection with a civil case filed against his workers compensation insurance company. Thirty-seven-year old Toby Thornton, of Monona, was paralyzed from the chest down in a tractor-trailer accident that happened in June, 2009. At the time, he was an employee of Clayton County Recycling. After the wreck, the company fired Thornton, who began receiving So

Feb 20, 2015
CHS planning Gwinner grain loading addition, fertilizer plant

WINNER, N.D. Minnesota-based CHS Inc. is planning a grain shuttle loading facility, a 2.2 million bushel storage addition and a dry fertilizer hub plant in the southeastern North Dakota city of Gwinner. The farmer-owned cooperatives project would be on a 196-acre campus with a state-of-the-art grain loading facility served by a 120-rail car loop with a 3,800-foot spur track to speed up train loading on the

Feb 20, 2015
US regulators shut down three unsafe trucking companies

U.S. regulators shut down the third trucking company within a month, as they target motor carriers with flagrant violations of federal truck maintenance and driver work rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Administration said today it ordered Sorbon Transport, an Aurora, Colorado-based car-hauling trucking company, out of service and off the road Feb. 12. That out-of-service order followed a rapid investigation after a roadside inspection of a Sorbon tr

Feb 20, 2015
Six Reasons Why Freight Brokers Fail

BY VIC LANCE Sometimes a dream and an idea are not enough. Enthusiasm and vision are necessary for the future of your freight broker business, but those traits alone arent nearly enough to keep your business growing. A freight brokerage can be a very profitable business, and many are lured by the possibility of rapid growth and steady cash flow. And while some succeed, many

Feb 19, 2015
Simplicity Can Solve Soaring Shipping Costs

The most simplistic thoughts are rarely viewed as big ideas, but I believe the biggest things to happen in 2015 will be more simplistic than profound. We find ourselves as Americans in an all-too-familiar place as far as history is concerned. In an effort to reach our present-day technological heights, we have compromised the most basic of principles and over complicated simple structural values. We have a great many accomplishments and technological advances to pin to our board of

Feb 19, 2015
Poll shows 76 percent oppose increases in truck size and weight

By David Tanner, Land Line senior editor More than three-quarters of the people surveyed in a recent poll oppose attempts to increase truck sizes and weights on the nations highways. Another 9 percent said they were unsure, while just 15 percent said they would support an increase in truck size. The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks commissioned the study in part to

Feb 19, 2015
Cops at border kill trucker with machete

(WFAA) -- Del Rio and Val Verde law enforcement were investigating an officer-involved shooting in Del Rio Tuesday. The shooting took place around 1:30 p.m. while police were responding to a call of a 'reckless driver' on U.S. Highway 90 East and Charles Drive. Del Rio Mayor Robert Garza said in a Facebook statement that initial reports indicated that a suspect was fatally shot by officers at or near a convenience store in the area. The suspect, an 18-wheeler driver, repo

Feb 18, 2015
Trucking Deregulation

Its been nearly 35 years since the landmark Motor Carrier Act of 1980 was signed into law by President Carter, ushering in a new era of deregulation for the trucking industry. On hand to witness the historic event was California Congressman Norman Mineta, who went on to become Secretary of Transportation, Rep. Bud Shuster of Pennsylvania and the late Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. Do you have an idea for a Transport Topics page from the past that you&rsq

Feb 18, 2015
Trucking companies demand judicial review

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) In an unprecedented move, BC truckers and the companies they work for are demanding a judge evaluate Port Metro Vancouvers changes to its licensing process. Theyre hoping a federal judge will decide if the way licenses are now handed out, is a fair process. Licenses are given out to trucking companies, not drivers themselves and so some with 20 or more years of experience are now out of a job. The compa

Feb 18, 2015
National Lottery win joy for lucky trucker

A couple who won almost 7m on the National Lottery say they plan to use the money help their three children, including their disabled daughter. Paul and Debbie Lawton, from the seaside town of Withernsea in East Yorkshire, scooped 6.9m in Saturday's draw. The couple look after their eldest daughter Tracey who has cerebral palsy. Long-distance lorry driver Mr Lawton, 56, said they planned to buy a large, specially a

Feb 17, 2015
Truck operators should pay for the road damage they cause

Our roads are in dire shape and need repair, but splitting the cost between all drivers or assessing a mileage fee is unfair. The fact is, roads are damaged by heavier vehicles more than light vehicles. The federal government has estimated that a 40-ton, 18-wheel truck causes the same damage as 9,600 midsize cars.

Feb 16, 2015
Low fuel prices have mixed impacts on area businesses

The greatly reduced fuel prices and the underlying drop in crude oil prices starting last fall caused a lot of discussion among central Montana businesses in early 2015. Hotel managers were pleased at the increases in recreational travel that began in cold weather and the earlier and more frequent summer reservations already being made because of the large fuel drop, which one called fabulous news for the hospitality industry. A state tourism official said his agen

Feb 16, 2015
Up to 900 potential victims of insurance scam preying on trucking companies

Federal investigators allege the owner of an Atlanta insurance agency ran an insurance scam with up to 900 potential victims. The feds on Feb. 12 moved to seize nearly $732,000 from the bank accounts of Appeal Insurance Agency of Norcross, Ga., and its owner

Feb 15, 2015
Truckers beware: The 'can opener' underpass is no joke

DELAWARE, Ohio Trucks traveling on W. Central Avenue pass by a series of warning signs, one of them with flashing lights. But about five times a year, for whatever reason, drivers ignore the signs or dont believe them. Thats when they run into the can opener, a CSX railroad underpass west of town that is nicknamed for its cold efficiency at removing the tops of trucks. Stephen Grossman had just dropped off his daughter at Ohio Wesley

Feb 15, 2015
Turkeys and Ethanol

I learned that the National Turkey Federation feels strongly that the government mandated Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is unequivocally broken. They cited as the most recent example, the fact that the EPA failed to follow-through on its plan to stop increasing the amount of feed corn siphoned off into fuel. I talked with their spokesperson, Keith Williams. "How is it that turkeys got into the fray over ethanol? Im glad you asked. The two feed ingredients and the primary feed ingredie

Feb 15, 2015
Trucker tosses refrigerator at police during PA Turnpike chase

State police from Belle Vernon and Greensburg chased a tractor-trailer for 34 miles through Fayette and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania as the driver threw items at his pursuers from the cab of his truck early Saturday. Christopher Boyer, 47, of Mifflintown, Juniata County, shoved a steel canister from his truck that hit and disabled a police car during the chase, according to state police. He also tossed a refrigerator, a mattress, his socks and his shoes. He was

Feb 14, 2015
Owner Operators Have Record Year In Earnings

According to a study published by the ATBS, the largest owner-operator service provider in the US, OOs had their best year yet last year in terms of revenue. On average, leased and independent owner operators made $56,167 in 2014. The number comes in at 7% higher than 2013s average of $52,406. Of course, not every OO makes the same amount of money, and different freight pays different amounts. The highest earning group of OOs was flatbed drivers who made $60,510 a year

Feb 14, 2015
Texas trucker claims he was fired after listing Jesus as his co-driver

By Jeremy Henderson Community News Content Truck driver Ramiro Olivarez says he was fired for writing "Jesus" in the blank of his driver logbooks reserved for the name of his truck's co-driver. Jesus can't take the wheel in Texas, at least not legally. That was Ramiro Olivarez' takeaway from the letter of termination he received from On Point Services LLC, the trucking company he worked for until rec

Feb 13, 2015
New bill will enforce truck safety checks

Truck routes that move freight by the millions of tons a year through city roadways would be routinely studied for safety under a bill being introduced in the City Council Thursday. Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents lower Manhattan, including the busy Canal Street corridor between the Manhattan Bridge and Holland Tunnel, told amNewYork she is introducing the bill to get the city's Department of Transportation to take a new look at how trucks can interact with pedestrians and b

Feb 13, 2015
State court orders trucking firm to pay drivers almost $1 million

An Oakland trucking company that discouraged drivers from taking meal and rest breaks, deducted an hours pay from their daily shifts and treated some of them as unpaid trainees will have to pay them nearly $1 million in damages after the stateSupreme Court rejected the companys appeal Wednesday. The damages will be shared by 73 p

Feb 13, 2015
FMCSA shuts down Nevada trucking company as ‘imminent hazard to public safety’

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Transportations Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered Las Vegas-based JDJD Transportation, LLC, USDOT No. 2432071, to immediately shut down following a federal investigation that revealed numerous widespread violations of critical safety regulations. The company, which was declared an imminent hazard to public safety, operated three truck-tractors transporting heavy equipment, machiner

Feb 12, 2015
Brokerage uber alles!

Leveraging Uber-like technology, newbies like 10-4 Systems, Cargomatic, and BoxSmart seek to blaze a newand inclusivetrail in the truck brokerage field. By Mark B. Solomon There may be no private truck fleet in the U.S. with as much heft as PepsiCo's. Each day, about 19,000 Pepsi trucks hit the road carrying such well-known brands as Pepsi, Doritos, Quaker

Feb 12, 2015
Saia Fined $119,000 Over Trucking Terminal Explosion

The trucking company Saia Motor Freight Line has been fined by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration following an investigation regarding an explosion at one of its terminals last August, injuring four employees. Two of the employees were critically injured in St. Louis due to a forklift's ignition source and a loose coupling connection to a liquid propane gas tank, according to the investigation. It determined that two forklift operators were cha

Feb 12, 2015
Grain companies had better be answerable to farmers

Grain companies had better be answerable to farmers or they could get schooled like the railways Canadas railways were roughly schooled last year on what happens when dominant companies appear to fail the customers who are forced to rely upon them. I think the big grain companies are in the same position the railways were in before the 2013-14 winter. They are dominant, they have gained huge market power, and they are able to oper

Feb 12, 2015
Andersons reports $109.7M in earnings

BY JON CHAVEZ BLADE BUSINESS WRITER Led by its grain and ethanol units, The Andersons Inc. on Tuesday reported record earnings of $109.7 million, or $3.84 per share, for 2014 on revenues of $4.5 billion. That compared with 2013 when the Maumee-based agri-business had earnings of $89.9 million, or $3.18 a share, on revenues of $5.6 billion. For the fourth quarter, The Andersons had a profit of $25.9 million, or

Feb 11, 2015
Truck drivers losing money

Truck drivers losing money, despite ports reopening Despite the Port of Seattle fully reopening Monday, truck drivers' wallets are still being impacted. Drivers are waiting up to six hours when the port is operating, said Jim Tutton, vice president of the Washington Trucking Association. Tutton did not know how many drivers are waiting to deliver or pick up cargo.

Feb 11, 2015
Could you be a trucker?

Lets assume you came through the rigourous training at Truck Training Academy of Cambridge & Kitchener Inc. Now what? You need to get your licence, which may be, given youre leaning toward driving long distance, class A. RELATED STORIES

Feb 11, 2015
Truck Driver Said He was Fired for Writing Jesus as his Co-Driver

http://www.krgv.com/news/local-news/truck-driver-said-he-was-fired-for-writing-jesus-as-his-codriver/31186856

Feb 10, 2015
The Andersons Grain Group President Announces Retirement

MAUMEE, Ohio, Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Andersons, Inc. ANDE, +0.75%announces today that Grain Group President Dennis J. (Denny) Addis has announced his plans to retire in May. At that time, Neill C. M

Feb 10, 2015
World's Toughest Trucker from Billericay takes on Shipping Wars

The World's Toughest Trucker has returned to our screens, as he takes on the challenges posed in Channel 4's Shipping

Feb 10, 2015
Cargill says suspending deliveries at Iowa corn mill after 'mechanical failure'

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Cargill Inc on Monday said it was suspending shipments and deliveries at its corn wet mill in Fort Dodge, Iowa, due to a "significant mechanical failure" on Friday. "The local team is in the process of assessing the damage to the equipment. As a result, we will be immediately suspending inbound and outbound deliveries," the company said in a note on its website. The company purchased the mill from

Feb 10, 2015
3 Ways to Become an Attractive Shipper to Carriers

I saw a news report the other day that said truck driving is the easiest, most available type of job you can get todayand the least attractive job there is. Detention is one big reason. Shippers and receivers know already that detention at their facilities impact a drivers Hours of Service, but they may not know how to correct it. Ive done more work recently with companies to assess dock congestion, obtain transportation tools to support a solution, and turn shippers into

Feb 9, 2015
Southern California truckers declare force majeure

Dozens of harbor truckers in Southern California notified the Uniform Intermodal Interchange Agreement, as well as a number of shipping lines, that because of the severe port congestion and labor disputes on the West Coast, they will not be held responsible for paying carrier-imposed charges for the late return of equipment. By invoking force majeure, which states that companies can not be held responsible when their service is interrupted due to circumstance beyond their con

Feb 9, 2015
Driver shortage makes capitalizing on low oil hard for truckers

CHICAGO, - A chronic shortage of drivers means America's long-haul trucking companies are struggling to capitalize on cheap fuel prices that could allow them to take goods shipments away from railroads. A 50 percent fall in oil prices from their peak last year should have erased some of the cost advantage railroad

Feb 9, 2015
How has the world of trucking evolved?

Amy Myska, an employment and training counselor with the state of Wisconsin Job Service, is answering questions throughout the State of Opportunity series. Q. How has the world of trucking evolved in the past 10 years? What are the projections for the trucking industry? A. The world of trucking has changed over the past decade due to several factors. Federal regulations have been tightening up. Employers have recognized how technology and safety have assisted them in ma

Feb 7, 2015
One hurt in grain truck crash near Millstadt

A collision between a grain truck and a pickup on Illinois 163 north of Millstadt Thursday evening left one driver injured and a heap of corn in a roadside ditch. According to the Illinois State Police, Leon Kreher, 60, of New Athens was driving northbound in a grain truck when it struck a pickup driven by Cecelia Dunlap, 60, of St. Louis that was pulling out of the Spring Haven Stables driveway and onto the highway just south of Prairie du Pont Creek shortly before 6 p.m. Both the gra

Feb 7, 2015
U.S. Trucking Companies Are Buying Drones

U.S. Trucking Companies Are Buying Drones For Ukraines Military With the Obama administrations reticence to arm soldiers in Ukraine fighting Russian separatists, two private trucking companies in the U.S. have stepped in and begun sending drones and other military equipment to the countrys beleaguered army and militias.

Feb 7, 2015
Reluctance to change not strange in trucking

So I got a chance to chat with Steve Jastrow (below at right), strategic consulting manager at GE Capital Fleet Services, last week about his companys latest study concerning cost of ownership challenges faced by commercial fleets these days.

Feb 6, 2015
Scoular hit with $17.2 mln fraud

Feb 4 (Reuters) - Scoular Co, a U.S. grain trading and handling firm, was swindled out of more than $17 million through an international email scheme, a company official confirmed on Wednesday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing the fraud, which took place in June, a company spokesperson said in a telephone interview. The Omaha W

Feb 6, 2015
Will County issues 7,300 overweight trucking permits

JOLIET The recent Walter Strawn Drive shutdown brought the issue of trucking permits to the forefront Thursday at the Will County Board's Executive Committee. Will County has issued about 7,300 overweight trucking permits over the past 11 days, Highway Engineer Bruce Gould told the committee Thursday. The permits were issued leading up to and since

Feb 6, 2015
Trucker trades tires for hillbillie heroin

HUNTINGTON, W.VA. A trucking company owner in West Virginia is looking at a possible 20 years in jail after admitting he swapped drugs for tractor-trailer tires. According to several media sources Kenneth Cisco, 50, former owner of Cisco Trucking, of Huntington, W.Va., pleaded guilty this week to aiding and abetting the distribution of oxycodone. The judge in the case said an undercover federal agent met with Cisco last March and received 33 pills in exch

Feb 5, 2015
ADM rides record US grain crop

Archer Daniels Midland, the huge processor and trader of agricultural commodities, reported a rise in adjusted net profit as it used its sprawling North American transport network to store and move a record grain crop. The New York-listed company reported earning $1 per share in the fourth quarter of 2014, adjusting for items. That was up 5.2 per cent from $0.95 per share in the same period a year before and above expectations of $0.94, reports Gregory Meyer in New York.

Feb 5, 2015
Capacity concerns

Last month, I reported that a statutory review of the Canada Transportation Act has been launched and focused my comments on issues relating to the disjointed regulatory system governing extra-provincial trucking. In this column I will discuss CTAs response to the crux of the review. Namely, the extent to which the national transportation system has the capacity and adaptability to respond effectively to evolving international and domestic conditions and ma

Feb 5, 2015
Spot market for truck freight continue to decline

Typical of the January season, spot rates for freight decreased or remained unchanged across the board for the fifth consecutive week for the week ending Saturday, Jan. 31. This is compared with the prior week, according to DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT network of load boards. Van rates declined by 2 cents to $1.94. Chicago experienced rates as high as $2.08. Los Angeles dipped slightly below the national average for the first time this year. Rate

Feb 4, 2015
Obama Budget Proposes 6-year, $18 Billion Freight Plan, Truck Safety Improvements

The Obama administrations fiscal 2016 budget unveiled Feb. 2 includes $18 billion for a six-year freight program designed to reduce roadway congestion, which the trucking industry says would improve efficiency. Dubbed the National Export Initiative, the program would fund regional multimodal, corridor-based projects to improve the delivery of goods that move around the country. In 2013, the American Transportation Research Institute found that congestion results in more t

Feb 4, 2015
Analysts predict US truckload rates to rise 4 to 9 percent

Tight truck capacity and low fuel prices will shift the balance between over-the-road trucking and intermodal rail this year, with some intermodal freight being transferred to truck despite rising truckload rates, according to Cass Information Systems and Avondale Partners. The freight payment company and investment research firm expect truckload rates to climb 4 to 9 percent in 2015, while intermodal rates drop, Cass and Avondale said last week.

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