Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

Dealing with semi trucks is an unavoidable part of traveling U.S. highways. Here's how to keep truckers happy, and keep you and your family safe. No, it's not always easy to maneuver your car around 80,000-pound fully loaded 18-wheelers that travel America's highways. But trucking makes our economy go—and we've all got to share the road. So instead of complaining about getting a semi's wake blown all over your windshield or being stuck behind a truck lumbering up a hill, it's time to get ser

Associated Press 8:03 a.m. EST, February 11, 2013 GRANGER, Ind. (AP) — High winds buffeting much of Indiana have prompted officials to temporarily ban certain trucks from using the 157-mile Indiana Toll Road. All but far southern and southeastern Indiana remain under a wind advisory until 9 p.m. Monday because of high winds that could produce gusts of up to 50 mph. The strong winds prompted the operators of the Indiana Toll Road to ban all triple trailers and long double trailers, exclu

By Peter Carter, Today's Trucking In the February issue of Today’s Trucking, I mention that I have three go-to trucker jokes. They appear below. I also asked readers to send in their favorites. The issue of the magazine was on the stands for just a few days and the suggestions started to arrive. Hope they continue. Please feel free to contribute. P.S. Keep’em clean okay? And we’ll be the judges of what’s clean and what’s not. Here’s my three great trucker jokes; followed by the first

New regulations for truckers in western Canada could translate to better prices for consumers, according to the Manitoba Trucking Association. Manitoba has inked a deal with the western provinces to harmonize rules for the trucking industry. The changes will mean weight regulations, driver qualifications and maximum speeds will be standardized across the western half of Canada. Bob Dolyniuk with the Manitoba Trucking Association said the changes should help companies save money and fuel

By MICHAEL WADDELL New changes to the hours of service (HOS) rules from the U.S. Department of Transportation will impact truckers and trucking companies beginning July 1 unless a pending lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia blocks the new rules before then. The new rule changes will limit 34-hour restarts to once per week and will reduce a driver’s average maximum allowable hours of work per week from 82 hours to 70 hours – a 15 percent reduction. “Theoreti

By Rick Dandes The Daily Item WATSONTOWN — If gasoline prices were to increase by up to 30 cents a gallon — a possibility under a provision in Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget proposal — it would have a decidedly negative effect on his business, the general manager of Watsontown Trucking Co. said Wednesday. “Diesel fuel is our number one expense,” Chris Patton said. “We have a fleet of 250 trucks and they’re mostly on the road at any one time. We buy about 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel a day. Rai

By: Jen Steer, newsnet5.com BROOK PARK, Ohio - A 55-year-old man was found guilty on Wednesday of setting Sterling Valley Trucks in Brook Park on fire Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/oh_cuyahoga/jury-finds-employee-guilty-of-setting-brook-park-trucking-company-on-fire#ixzz2KKCjCYSX View Original A

This spring, the United States Supreme Court will hear and ultimately rule on a case that would greatly decide environmental regulations for shipping by truck in the US. The case involves the American Trucking Association (ATA) and their dispute against the Clean Truck Program created by the Port of Los Angeles. In 2008, the Port of Los Angeles implemented the Clean Truck Program, which imposed specific environmental requirements (to reduce air pollution) for trucks in the port, including proof

SHELBY COUNTY — Local troopers recently arrested a Michigan truck driver they believe was under the influence of bath salts when he decided to pull his rig over on the highway and dance in the rain. Marcus Abbott was spotted on the berm of Interstate 75 near Sidney. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and checked out a hospital where the staff warned that he was under the influence of bath salts. Once at the Shelby County Jail Abbott allegedly became combative with jailers. They asked

Congestion Costs Trucking $27 Billion Annually, Report Says Transport Topics Traffic congestion in the largest U.S. cities cost the commercial trucking industry about $27 billion in wasted time and fuel in 2011, according to a report released Tuesday. Congestion cost the total economy $121 billion in wasted time and fuel in 2011, up $1 billion from a year earlier, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report, the Associated Press reported. Americans wa

by Chris Lehner of Archer Financial Services "What if there is a drought?" is the quick comeback response and what most brokers hear when they suggest selling new crop grains. At the same time, because a large majority of brokers and analysts feel the same, not many are suggesting to sell corn, wheat or soybeans. When reports from South America talk of too much rain in Mato Grosso or that conditions are too dry in Argentina, most brokers and their clients feel vindicated and justified tra

By JACOB BUNGE CME Group Inc. CME -4.11% plans to close the storied grain-trading pits at the Kansas City Board of Trade this summer, ending a 157-year run for the wheat-futures exchange. CME, which closed a $126 million deal to buy the Kansas City, Mo., exchange in December, plans to move open-outcry trading in its flagship hard-red winter wheat contracts to Chicago in July, according to a statement from CME. The move requires regulatory approval. The move would end floor trading at an

Battered for years as a carrier of invasive species, Great Lakes shipping interests are battling back with a new study showing that ships are better for the environment than their competition on land. By: John Myers, Duluth News Tribune Battered for years as a carrier of invasive species, Great Lakes shipping interests are battling back with a new study showing that ships are better for the environment than their competition on land. The study, released Tuesday by the Research and Traffi

Study shows shale boom provides boost to trucking February 4, 2013 TruckingInfo.com Shale energy exploration, the growing practice of deep horizontal drilling to harvest oil and natural gas previously beyond reach, has changed America’s energy industry and overall economy. The fact that natural gas prices are at a ten-year-low is a strong indicator of this positive change. And in the areas where the actual drilling occurs– Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana and North Dakota– there ar

Marubeni expects approval for $5.6B deal by end of March Feb 1, 2013 6:40 PM - 0 comments TEXT SIZE By: Osamu Tsukimori TOKYO | REUTERS Crops, Markets Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. said it expects to get Chinese regulatory approval for its long-delayed US$5.6 billion purchase of U.S. grain merchant Gavilon by the end of March. The transaction, which has received clearance from U.S. and European anti-competition authorities, needs Chinese approval because Marubeni will increase

REDHOUSE – No injuries were reported, but Interstate 86 was closed for several hours, after a tractor-trailer rolled over Saturday night in the Cattaraugus County Town of Redhouse, according to sheriff’s deputies. Deputies said Edward G. Muhammud, 50, of Cleveland, Ohio, was driving east shortly before 6:30 p.m. when he lost control of the rig because of weather and road conditions. It slid sideways and then overturned, blocking the eastbound lane. Interstate 86 was closed between exits 1

PALMYRA, Maine — A 77-year-old truck driver was uninjured after he crashed his tractor-trailer into the woods in the median along Interstate 95 early Thursday morning. Charles McAlpine of Levant told Maine State Police Trooper Joseph Chretien that a vehicle cut him off. “He was coming down here probably 4 o’clock [Thursday] morning,” said Chretien. “He said he got cut off, lost control of it when he got it over on the side and ran it into the woods. “He’s OK. The truck’s trashed, but h

By: Matt Buxton JUNEAU — Lawmakers got their first detailed look at Gov. Sean Parnell’s proposal for the Interior natural gas trucking plan, which officials say could cut home heating prices by at least 40 percent. The early Thursday morning Senate Special Committee on In-state Energy meeting helped frame the benefits and unanswered questions of the plan as it sets out on a packed schedule of meetings in front of numerous committees in both the Senate and House. “The goals of that Interi

By: Steve Kiggins ADAIRSVILLE, GA (CBS ATLANTA) - The damage in Adairsville is extensive; dropped power poles, flipped cars and a destroyed factory. Trucker Eric Harper managed to survive the tornado, even though powerful winds tossed his truck on its side like a toy. "All of the sudden it got harder and harder and I looked around, 'I hope it don't blow me over,'" said Harper. "Before I got the words out of my mouth good, wham! I was lying over to the side." Harper survived the

By: Steve Wilhelm Here’s a little food for thought: Washington state’s second-largest builder of transportation equipment -- truck builder Paccar Inc. -- does all its own engineering and hasn’t had any notable recalls despite launching three new truck models in 2012. “It’s all done in-house, it’s always been done in-house,” said Paccar Treasurer Robin Easton, about the company’s engineering, just after the company released its year-end results Jan. 31. Many observers blame Boeing’s dec

By Transport Topics Volvo AB signed an agreement with China’s Dongfeng Motor Group Co. to acquire 45% of a new commercial-vehicles subsidiary of the Chinese company for about $900 million. The deal will include the major part of Dongfeng’s medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle business, known as Dongfeng Commercial Vehicles (DFCV), Volvo said in a statement Saturday. “Combining Dongfeng’s strong domestic position and know-how with the Volvo Group’s technological expertise and globa

By CHRIS BUCKLEY Published: February 1, 2013 HONG KONG — A truck laden with fireworks exploded on an elevated expressway in central China on Friday, unleashing a blast that threw vehicles 30 yards to the ground below and killing at least nine people, state news reports said. The truck was on an expressway near Sanmenxia in Henan Province in morning fog when the it erupted, causing an 87-yard section of the Yichang Bridge to collapse, according to the Web site of Dahe Daily, a newspap

By: Transport Topics December’s Trucking-Jobs Gain Revised Downward Trucking added 5,000 jobs in January as U.S. employers added 157,000 jobs, and the nation’s unemployment rate edged up to 7.9%, the Labor Department said Friday. December’s trucking-jobs gain was revised downward to 3,400 from an originally reported 4,200 increase, while November’s trucking employment was revised upward by about 6,500. Total transportation jobs, which include trucking, fell by 14,200 in January. Dec

By: Deepak Kannan Panamax coal freight rates on established routes from South Africa's Richards Bay and Indonesia to India remained stable Friday, with a downward bias, as support from the South American grain season began to weaken, sources said. "Vessels are ballasting to the east coast of South America for the grain cargoes," a Singapore-based source said. He, however, said Panamax freight rates continued to remain weak with time charter rates seen at about $4,500-5,000/day and goin

By: Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner Year-end earnings reports from some of the largest carriers in the TL sector indicate that most are successfully finding ways to profit from a sluggish to moderate freight environment, with many expecting further tightening of capacity later this year – in part fostered by a host of regulatory initiatives – to boost their ability to win rate increases. “The environment in both 2012 and 2011 were similar in terms of growth [with] the economic environment cont

2013-01-30 TORONTO, Ont. -- Results published today by the Canadian General Freight Index (CGFI) indicate that the total cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers declined by 0.86 % in November when compared with October results. The Base Rate Index, which excludes the impact of accessorial charges assessed by carriers, decreased by 1.2% when compared to October. Average fuel surcharges assessed by carriers have seen a decrease from 21.27% of base rates in October to 20.46% in N

by Adrian Gonzalez January 30th, 2013 It’s been more than a year since the U.S. Department of Transportation announced its final rule on Hours of Service (HOS) (read my comments at the time in “Hours of Service Rules Changed, But the Big Picture in Trucking Stays the Same”). The compliance date of July 1, 2013 seemed so far away back then, but with January almost over, the deadline for compliance is just a few calendar pages away. The table below summarizes the HOS changes, and if you wa

DAVE MARNER MT. STERLING — A southern Illinois truck driver is back home, recuperating after surviving a head-on collision Monday with a trailer loaded with “distiller’s grain” which had broken loose from the tractor hauling it west on U.S. 50 at Fowler Road. Wet, sticky grain mash covered the eastbound lane of U.S. 50 leading uphill more than 100 feet from the impact site near Fowler Road. In some places, the wet grain was three to four inches deep. John G. Birkner, 53, of Coulterville, Il

Deborah Whistler | Fleet Owner A bill has been proposed in the Montana legislature that would allow log truckers to use shorter scales to weigh their rigs, a measure that would save them time and money needed to travel to longer scales to get weighed. Scales at mills such as Porterbilt Co. owned by Ron Porter located south of Hamilton, MT, are only 27-ft. long and can’t weigh a truck and trailer in one fell swoop, according to a report in the Billings Gazette. The shorter scales were a

By Andrew Johnson Over the weekend, in addition to serving on a panel at the National Review Institute summit, Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli saved a trucker from a burning rig. While on Interstate 64 on Friday, Cuccinelli and his driver saw smoke coming from the back of a flatbed trailer of a nearby truck. The trucker was unaware of the problem until Cuccinelli’s car pulled up alongside and started honking to get her attention. She pulled over and Cuccinelli helped her out of

Bart Jansen, USA TODAY LaHood imposed heavy fines for airlines that leave passengers stuck for hours on planes on airport tarmacs. WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Tuesday he is leaving office after four years as arguably the most consumer-friendly secretary that airline passengers have had. LaHood, 67, a former Republican member of Congress serving in President Obama's Democratic administration, says he will stay until a successor is chosen and confirmed. He

By Howard Simons Jan 28, 2013 8:49 am The answer lies in the types of cargo transported, the distances involved, and the high barriers to competition. To paraphrase H.L. Mencken’s remark, “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong,” for every apparently straightforward market relationship, exceptions abound. I will go so far as to say that in three decades of market analysis, everything interesting to me has involved exceptions to and not confirmations o

By Bill Spiegel Farmers can receive their first look at the first major change in combine platform technology in more than six decades at the Ag Connect Expo in Kansas City Jan. 29 to 31. Ag Connect is the official coming-out party for the Tribine, an innovative harvester that combines the threshing capacity of a Class VII combine with the grain-holding capacity of a 1,000-bushel grain cart in a package that is smaller and lighter than other combines of similar capacity. The Tribine is the br

By Evan Lockridge, Senior Contributing Editor Two of the nations publicly held carriers posted record numbers for the final quarter and all of last year. Another continued increasing its business, while a fourth posted smaller profits despite doing more business. J.B. Hunt Transport Services J.B. Hunt Transport announced record fourth-quarter 2012 net earnings of $84 million, up from $72.6 million the same time a year ago. Total operating revenue for quarter was $1.34 billion, up

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – When the Minnesota Trucking Association picks its top driver every year, safety is a big consideration. On Thursday night, Nathan Wick was honored as Minnesota’s 2012 Truck Driver of the Year. The UPS driver was chosen, because of his safety record, job performance, and community service. He’s also driven more than 25,000 hours without an accident. Wick says safety begins with inspecting whatever you drive, checking everything from tire pressure to lug nuts. Only t

Shippers often complain that their 3PLs aren't bringing enough new and creative ideas to the table. But are they themselves the main obstacle to innovation? By Susan K. Lacefield Do you feel your third-party logistics service provider isn't innovative enough? That it's failing to come to you with new—or at least, new to you—ideas for cutting costs or streamlining your operations? If so, you're not alone. A 2012 survey by the Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium, Outsourced Distribution: Eme

CONNEAUT — A trucker who apparently had more faith in his navigation device than his own eyeballs has made a big impression — literally — on a city park. A semi-truck that made the wrong turn off Parrish Road early Thursday afternoon wound up deep in Malek Park, coming to a rest a few steps from the park's exercise trail at the west end of the big facility. A police report was still being compiled Thursday night, but officers said the trucker was en route to General Aluminum about 1 p.m.

Article by: ADAM BELZ , Star Tribune An upstart trucking broker with Tennessee roots is expanding in the Twin Cities. Access America Transport, which already employs 145 people here, just moved into a 30,000-square-foot office in Brooklyn Center and plans to hire 500 more sales staff over the next five years, the company is expected to announce Friday. Sales workers at the company spend all day on the phone either matching trucks with manufacturers, coordinating shipments or selling t

How much to give? That was the question young farmer Tim from southwest Minnesota asked me yesterday about the Timpte 40’ grain trailer he’s been looking for a while now. He knows what a basic, no frills new option would run, just a bit over $30,000. He knows from his dealer if he wants to order a new one, it will be 2014 delivery. So yep, Tim is looking for a good late model used one to buy now. Pete’s Auction Prices on Timpte 40’ Grain Trailers Therein lies the problem. Just not many mach

Sean Kilcarr Despite a projected falloff in U.S. retail spending due to tax increases contained within the fiscal cliff resolution, truck freight volumes remain in what analysts call “modest” growth territory – though that could change quickly depending on broader economic trends. “Looking at freight, there’s modest growth and still many positive signs; we’re still in ‘OK mode’ for now,” Eric Starks, president of research firm FTR Associates, told Fleet Owner. In particular, he said fe

Submitted by Joshua Ninke, Community Web Producer OPELIKA, AL - A freight transportation company had several trucks and trailers stolen over the weekend, some containing over $200,000 in beer products. The theft took place at Averitt Express at on West Point Pkwy between Jan. 18 and Jan. 20. The company reported someone came onto the property and stole a 2006 Freightliner CL 112 truck and a 2012 Freightliner CA 125 ISX sleeper truck. They also reported a 53-foot trailer with househo

Cruising along at on the open road in your sweet ride is the stuff of romance movies and car commercials. Until that squirrel runs in front of you, you slam on the brakes and the semi truck behind you kisses your bumper at 40 MPH. It's not a pretty picture. Volvo, the automaker best known for deliriously safe vehicles, says it has the answer and offers proof in the white-knuckle video above. Created by Volvo's trucks division (and introduced last year), the collision warning and emergency br

LOS ANGELES — Got some trucks headed to California? Then you better be up to speed on California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations or you could end up with a hefty fine — $300,000 hefty. According to a statement on CARB's website, Foster Enterprises, an Ontario, California-based reefer carrier, received a $300,000 fine after a CARB investigation found that the company neglected to upgrade older diesel engines in its refrigerated trailer fleet, violating emission standards. It's the firs

By Garret Ellison | [email protected] WEXFORD COUNTY, MI — Authorities in northern Michigan are investigating a fatal snowmobile accident that claimed the life of an Ottawa County man this weekend. Thomas Trent Winn, 44, of Zeeland, was killed after crashing his snowmobile into a tree on Sunday, Jan. 20, about 3:45 a.m., according to the Wexford County Sheriff’s Office. The accident took place on North 13 ¼ Road near West 20 Road in Antioch Township. A Northflight EMS medical helicopt

By: Alexandra Stone Updated: January 22, 2013 Here in the cattle capital of the world, the population of cows in feed yards has dropped sharply. "We're at our lowest cow herd numbers since the early 1950s," Jim Bret Campbell, Communications Director for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association said. Campbell attributes the drop in cattle numbers to drought conditions and an increase in corn prices. The industry's decline caused Cargill to announce it will close a beef processing plant in

A trucker set himself on fire near an apartment in Chon Buri's Pattaya early Tuesday morning, and police suspect the man was stressed out because he was unable to pay vehicle accident compensation. People rushed to help when Pitak Boonsup, 45, was seen to be suddenly on fire and screaming in agony. They doused the flames with water and the badly burned man was rushed to a hospital, police said. The police searched the area and found liquor, a bottle containing some petrol and a shirt smel

RENO, Nev. (AP) - A Reno businessman who pleaded guilty to collecting payroll tax from his employees but not giving the money to the IRS has been sentenced to 27 months in prison. Paul Bryan Reddis was also ordered to pay nearly $680,000 in restitution at sentencing Wednesday. Authorities say Reddis owned and operated a long haul trucking business called CK Trucking between 1988 and 2007. Reddis admitted in a plea agreement that he willfully started withholding the money from the IRS in 2

by Associated Press Published: January 21,2013 BILOXI — Authorities say a south Mississippi businessman who has received more than $75 million in federal funds for construction work at the state Port of Gulfport has been arrested on cocaine and domestic assault charges. Biloxi police chief John Miller tells The Sun Herald W.C. “Cotton” Fore was arrested outside the Palace Casino. He’s charged with felony cocaine-possession and a misdemeanor domestic assault. Fore’s lawyer, Tim Hollema

Research Driven Investing Provides Stocks Research on Arkansas Best and YRC Worldwide Marketwire NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 01/18/13 -- Heading into 2013, a number of factors have combined to present a positive outlook for the Trucking Industry. The American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index gained 3.7 percent in November, which was the first gain since July. Research Driven Investing examines investing opportunities in the Trucking Industry a

Posted: Saturday, January 19, 2013 3:30 am By ROGER HOLSINGER Assistant Editor | 0 comments If you want to hear a doggone good story, here’s one. Matthew Green is an over-the-road truck driver for Prime Inc. His home is south of Detroit, Mich. Green was making his first delivery to Gering on Jan. 7, accompanied by his 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Rose. Like many dogs, Rose was fond of hanging her head out the window. As Green headed east on Country Club Road, he was unfamiliar with

Posted By: KLKN Newsroom [email protected] The Johnson County Sheriff's Office says the truck driver didn't see the train due to the fog. It happened at around 9:30 Thursday morning. The sheriff's office says they received a call that a train had hit a car just south of Sterling in Johnson County. When they arrived, they found the accident involved a grain truck hauling corn was hit by a train. No one was hurt. The sheriff's office says the truck driver didn't see the train as he cross

The Trucker News Services 1/18/2013 GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mack now offers a new engine overhaul program to better serve MACK E7 engine owners, the company said Thursday. The Mack Purebred Overhaul program is an industry staple, offering extended warranty coverage of up to three years or 350,000 miles. “Mack’s trucks are known for reliability and durability, and our customers hold on to their trucks a long time,” said John Taaffe, Mack director of aftermarket marketing. “Revitalizing the engi

A trucker from Butler bought a lottery ticket in Fort Valley and won $250K. Click Here to Read Full Story View Original Article

The tiny town of Doyon, North Dakota is about become a lot more popular with area farmers. Tronson Grain, the town's only business, is more than doubling its capacity in town with a new 120 foot elevator. By: Adam Ladwig, WDAZ The tiny town of Doyon, North Dakota is about become a lot more popular with area farmers. Tronson Grain, the town's only business, is more than doubling its capacity in town with a new 120 foot elevator. Manager Rick Tronson says his company is playing catch up to

An Alabama truck driver's cat is stolen from his semi at a local store. According to a Facebook post, Jay Jones, a trucker from Clanton, Alabama, stopped at Meijer in Florence, KY on Friday. While his truck was parked there, someone broke into his 18-wheeler and stole it. Inside was his computer, camera and some cash. But that wasn't the thing he was most upset about. Jones said the thief also took his traveling partner, Maggie the cat. Jones said on Facebook that Maggie had bee

Samuel K. Burlum Monday, January 14, 2013 • 11:49am As a part of a three segment series, I took a look inside the war that is being waged on the American truck driver. Two major issues have forced both national carriers and owner-operators to have concern about the profitability of the trucking industry. We previously spoke about the environmental compliance lurking in the shadows nibbling at the heels of the transportation industry, forcing owner-operators to go for broke. Truckers wi

by Kristin Hiemstra - The Art of Potential Back in elementary school I wanted to be a truck driver. I lived by I-57 on the south side of Chicago and would watch the trucks go by in long convoys. Both Convoy the movie and the song were big hits featuring really cool trucks. Growing up we did a lot of road trips and my dad let me talk on his CB so I learned a bit of the truckers lingo “What is your 10-20?” meant “what is your location?” and was very useful if you were stuck in a traffic jam be

James Dornbrook Kansas City Business Journal The Scoular Co. announced that it sold a portion of its ownership stake in Pratt Energy LLC to Pratt Biofuel Investors LLC for an undisclosed amount. Pratt Energy is a 55 million-gallon ethanol plant based in Pratt, Kan. Overland Park-based Scoular maintains a minority ownership stake in Pratt Energy and will continue to operate the adjoining 1.8 million bushel grain facility, procure feedstock and provide distillers grains marketing services fo

By Clarissa Kell-Holland, Land Line staff writer Jim Lowe says he and his co-driver had just heard Alert issued for a 2-year-old boy, giving the description of the car and the license plate number, when they spotted the vehicle. It was in the lane next to their truck on Interstate 24 in Marion County, TN. Lowe, a truck driver for Johnny Morris Farms of Hillsboro, TN, told “Land Line Now” on Thursday, Jan. 10, that once he and his co-driver matched up the tag numbers with the information the

By Boris Ladwig [email protected] LARRY West loves trucks. And he loves a challenge. He especially likes challenges involving trucks. And when people say that a certain thing cannot be done, West tries all the harder to prove them wrong. After all, the owner of West Trucking & Repair has the tools to do it. His Kreutzer Drive facility, which serves as a hangout for old-time truckers who haul steel from Detroit to Tennessee, includes a warehouse, tools, fabricating shop, truck-

Research firm expects capacity will tighten this year Jan. 9, 2013 FTR Associates announced today that its Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) for November (reported in the research firm’s January 2013 Trucking Update) climbed almost two full points to a reading of 9.7. FTR noted that any reading above zero indicates a “positive environment” for truck operators, while readings above 10 indicate that volumes, prices, and margins are “likely to be in a solidly favorable range” for trucking com

The Trucker News Services 1/11/2013 WALCOTT, Iowa -- The Walcott Truckers Jamboree is expanding. Iowa 80 Truckstop officials said Friday that the 34th rendition of the event will run Thursday through Saturday this year instead of just Thursday and Friday. Dates are July 11-13 at the Iowa 80 Truckstop here. “We’ve had a lot of requests from drivers to continue the event on Saturday and decided 2013 was the year to do it,” says Heather DeBaillie, marketing manager. “The Walcott Truckers

NEW DELHI, JAN 12: Freight rates for 10—tonne load section declined by Rs 1,000 in the local truck transport market on Saturday following heavy trucks position against cargo movements. Transporters said less cargo movements and huge position of trucks in the markets, mainly pulled down freight rates. Delhi to Pondicherry, Kochi to Mysore freight rate dipped by Rs 1,000 each to Rs 66,000, Rs 71,000 and Rs 64,000, respectively. Rates to Coimbatore, Banglore, Pune and Guwahati also down

Deborah Whistler | Fleet Owner Terry Spradley, a photographer with St. John News, captured some amazing photos revealing the tiny bit of a truck that was still visible after the rig became buried in tons of corn following an accident at a grain elevator in Stafford County, KS, last week. The shots can be viewed here. The incident occurred at the Dillwyn Elevator in St. John, KS, around 1 p.m. Thursday when a truck driver accidentally struck a loading shoot on the elevator, causing the cor

Dean Kaplan January 10, 2013 We have a client who uses a provision in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) to collect significantly more than the original balance due on accounts sent to collections. As an example, we collected over $22,000 on freight bills that were only $11,000 if they had been paid on time. Section 49 377.203 g(1)(ii) of the CFR says “Carriers may, by tariff rule, assess reasonable and certain liquidated damages for all costs incurred in the collection of over

Central Illinois Corn Processing Plant Suffers Damage After Boiler Explosion By Jean-Paul McDonald, Farms.com Peoria, Illinois – A temporary shutdown has been ordered at Archer Daniels Midland’s Peoria, Illinois corn processing plant. An early morning explosion in the maintenance area of the plant on Wednesday forced the company to temporarily halt operations at the plant as a fire had broken out as the result of a boiler explosion. The explosion happened at approximately 3:00am local t

By: Drew Moore NEVADA, MO.--- "I hate to say it, but the time of the small co-op, especially an AG co-op, as tough as the markets are everywhere in the world, the days are numbered for all of them," says Jerry Brackenridge, Chairman Producers Grain. Producers Grain Co-Op Chairman Jerry Brackenridge says the days of their locally owned co-op servicing farmers in the area have come to an end. Dozens of local farmers found out why at an open meeting with co-op board members this evening.

Posted: Jan 10, 2013 12:16 PM by Janine Reyes CORPUS CHRISTI -- There's a good chance most the stuff you use everyday got to you by arriving on a truck. That's why in this uncertain economy, the trucking industry is booming right now and Del Mar College is staying busy training drivers to hit the road. Starting a career in the trucking industry is an option many job searchers are considering. After just one week looking for work, Bill Lowery found there are three main industries in

By Stephen Ho There are three fundamental bull arguments for C.H. Robinson (CHRW): (1) the truck brokerage industry penetration is only 15% of total U.S. trucking spend (2) non-asset-based business model drives 30% return on invested capital and 25-30% free cash flow as a percentage of net revenue (3) Robinson's large network of truckers, shippers, local offices and brokers is an economic moat. However, there are headwinds to the company and the truck brokerage industry: Mid-sized truck br

EDWARDSVILLE • The widow of Illinois State Police Trooper Kyle Deatherage, who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer truck during a traffic stop in November, sued the truck company and the driver Wednesday, claiming that the driver should have never been behind the wheel. Deatherage, 32, died instantly on Nov. 26, when he was struck while standing along northbound Interstate 55 near Litchfield. The wrongful death and misconduct suit, filed in Madison County, names driver Johnny B

Truck rates to climb post-Sandy; analysts divided on duration Some consultants, economists sees strong revenue gains into fall; others believe impact will not last long. By Mark B. Solomon The rebuilding efforts in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic following the Sandy mega-storm in November will push up truck rates through the first half of the year. What happens beyond that is a matter of educated opinion. There is little doubt that pricing will firm considerably in the near term as t

Mark Reilly Managing Editor- Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal An owner of a Minnesota trucking firm pleaded guilty Monday to a scheme that shorted wages from drivers doing government road projects. The Pioneer Press reports on the plea by Gary Francis Bauerly, who had been charged with felony theft by swindle. His company, WATAB Hauling Co., had offices in Rice and St. Cloud. Prosecutors said that Bauerly's firm falsified certifications on prevailing-wage payments, which wound up c

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A semitrailer hauling 32 bulls slammed into a tree on I-75, snarling traffic on the highway and forcing Florida Highway Patrol officials to chase down and shoot one of three animals that escaped. A veterinarian sedated another of the animals with a dart. The first was shot for being overly aggressive after Saturday's crash. The Gainesville Sun (http://tinyurl.com/byu867k) reported Sunday that a crew of cowboys, veterinarians and state troopers set up chutes with portable

Lancaster based Pennfield Corporation, a 93 year old company that supplies animal feed and other services over a multi-state region of the east coast, filed for voluntary chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2011. This came after the company suffered millions of dollars of losses over the past three years. The company agreed to sell all three of its feed mills and other assets to Wellsource Facilities Holding for $15.6 million. However the deal fell through when Wellsource failed to pay the agre

By Kimberly A.C. Wilson, The Oregonian Edwin "Buddy" Jones had almost reached his destination in Portland late Thursday, a week after setting off from Freeport, Texas in an 18-wheeler laden with fresh pineapples. But faced with a multiple truck pile-up on Interstate 84 near Corbett just after 11 p.m., Jones said, he pulled over at milepost 24 to wait out the traffic. Jones climbed out into the 32-degree cold and 45-mile-per-hour gusts to grab a smoke and walk his Boston terrier, Shooter.

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By: Kay Cooley, WDAY Ada, MN (WDAY TV) -- Crews are still on the scene of a massive fire that left the Triple Crown grain elevator in Ada in a pile of smoldering rubble. It's one of the worst fires to hit the community. Nearly 24-hours after a devastating fire demolished Ada's grain elevator, deep beneath the ash and smoke, flames still burn. Steve Petry/Ada Fire Chief: "We're spraying water on the hot spots, trying to cool that off, get that fire out." Petry and his crew have been u