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FMCSA Has "Too Little Data" To Tackle Double-Brokering Fraud

July 25, 2024

Federal regulators have informed Congress that the administration is struggling to address broker fraud due to a lack of data and jurisdictional issues. In an “Unlawful Brokerage Activities” report sent to Congress last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) confirmed its ongoing assessment of the relationship between motor carrier safety and unlawful brokerage incidents.

Carrier Review: Leonard's Express 🏆

July 25, 2024

Carrier Review of the week presented by CarrierSource! CarrierSource helps you find the best carriers to move your freight. Bringing trust to the logistics industry with authentic reviews alongside FMCSA safety, compliance, and insurance information. Carrier Review: Leonard's Express.

Kodiac Puts Driverless Technology Into Atlas Trucks

July 25, 2024

Kodiak Robotics Inc. announced today that it will equip new high-capacity trucks from Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. with its autonomous technology. Under this partnership, Kodiak will provide its technology through a driver-as-a-service licensing agreement.

UPS to Buy Mexican Delivery Company Estafeta

July 25, 2024

UPS announced an agreement to acquire Estafeta, a nearly 50-year-old Mexican delivery company. This acquisition is part of UPS's "Better and Bolder" strategy to become the world's leading provider of international small package and logistics services.

Corporate Espionage Within Freight Brokerages

July 24, 2024

In recent months, the freight industry has been rocked by a wave of unprecedented scams. Just last week, we discussed a freight ransom ring in Illinois. Now, we have another alarming story to share: corporate espionage.

Trucking Company Secretly Moving Meth Hidden Within Shipments of Vegetables, Unsealed Indictment Shows

July 23, 2024

A recently unsealed indictment has revealed allegations that a trucking company was secretly operating a statewide network, leading to the seizure of nearly 13,000 pounds of methamphetamine and dozens of guns. Federal prosecutors described the organization as “sophisticated” and operational “for well over a year,” giving “the appearance of being a legitimate transportation business.”

CFPB Looking Into Predatory Lease-Purchase Agreements

July 23, 2024

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) presented findings on predatory lease-purchase agreements in the trucking industry to the Truck Leasing Task Force on July 18th. The presentation highlighted concerning practices that benefit carriers over drivers.

Triumph Financial: Average Factored Invoices Fall Again In Q2

A weak freight market led to disappointing earnings for Triumph Financial, a trucking-focused bank, but CEO Aaron Graft emphasized long-term strategy over short-term performance in his quarterly letter to shareholders.

How Owner-Ops Feel About Broker Transparency

Broker transparency and the enforcement of 49 CFR 371.3, which covers broker record-keeping and carriers' right to review these records, are hotly debated in the trucking industry.

Port of L.A. Container Volumes Up 14%

U.S. West Coast ports are ending the first half of the year with strong trade volumes, driven by an early peak season, solid consumer spending, and threats of a labor strike at East and Gulf Coast ports.

Another Victory for TQL and 3PLs in Broker Liability Case

July 17, 2024

Another brokerage company has successfully defended itself in court, with a recent ruling holding that a 3PL (third-party logistics provider) is not liable for an accident involving a carrier it hired.

Trump's VP Pick Supports Trucking Priorities

July 17, 2024

Former President Donald Trump has chosen Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate. Vance supports key legislative priorities for truck drivers, co-sponsoring the Truck Parking Improvement Act, which allocates $755 million for truck parking, and the DRIVE Act, which opposes mandatory speed-limiting devices on trucks.

Deadly Derecho Slams Midwest On Monday

July 17, 2024

A powerful derecho that swept through the Midwest caused significant damage in the Chicago area. Hurricane-force winds toppled power lines, overturned semi-trucks, and damaged property. Interstate 55 remains closed in some areas due to the extensive damage.

Cass Shows Decline In June Freight Data

July 17, 2024

Freight volumes and expenditures continued to decline in June, according to data from Cass Information Systems. The Cass Freight Index showed a 6% year-over-year decrease in shipments, marking the largest decline in five months.

Carrier Review: Lubana Trucking 🏆

July 17, 2024

June-July USDA Produce Trends

July 15, 2024

Taking a fresh look at USDA data, we're identifying the top 10 commodities in June through July traveling by reefers across the US. We crunched the numbers (volume in millions of pounds) and revealing where these in-demand produce items originate.

Windrose Trucks Coming to US in 2025

July 15, 2024

A new electric Class 8 truck from Chinese manufacturer Windrose was unveiled at the ACT Expo in May 2024. The truck has a range of up to 415 miles (670 km) and is designed for long-haul trucking.

Texas Truck Driver Sentenced For Cocaine Conspiracy

July 15, 2024

A Texas truck driver, Javier Robledo Perez (39), was sentenced in a Massachusetts federal court on July 8th. The charges stemmed from his involvement in a multi-state cocaine trafficking operation.

Illinois Freight Ransom Ring

Nearly two dozen freight brokers claim that Agility Express Inc., an Illinois trucking company, and its network of affiliated carriers targeted their businesses just before the Fourth of July holiday, holding 36 confirmed loads hostage for ransom.

United States Billion Dollar Weather Events

The frequency of billion-dollar weather events in the United States appears to be increasing. By early June 2024, the U.S. has faced 15 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, including thirteen severe storm events and two winter storms, with costs exceeding $37.9 billion.

Cargo Theft Numbers Finally... Drop in Q2?

Cargo theft continues to rise, with Verisk’s CargoNet recording 771 incidents in Q2 this year. This marks a 33% increase compared to the same period last year, though it's a 10% decrease from the record highs in Q1.

Semi Truck That Bypassed Scales Was 103,000 Pounds Overweight

Connecticut State Police (CSP) conducted a traffic stop on a commercial vehicle on July 10th in Danbury after troopers observed it bypassing a weigh station and traveling on secondary roads.

The Bachelorette's Freight Star: Meet Devin Strader 🌹

Freight is going mainstream on the Bachelorette with contestant Devin Strader. Devin appears to be the definition of a freight entrepreneur.

Transportation A Top 10 Target of Cyberattackers

A data breach study by SOAX using data from the Identity Theft Resource Center found a concerning rise in data breaches across US industries in 2023. The total number of breaches reached 3,205, a 78% increase from 2022.

CHP Recovers $50,000 In Goods From Cargo Theft

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced the recovery of stolen goods valued at over $46,000.

Broker Transparency Maintains October Target Date

A proposal aimed at improving broker transparency is expected to be released this fall. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Spring 2024 Unified Regulatory Agenda, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is targeting October to unveil its notice of proposed rulemaking regarding transparency.

U.S Container Volumes Continue To Rise

U.S. container imports maintained their upward trend in June 2024, with a 10.4% increase in volume compared to June 2023. Imports from China continued their strong performance, growing 13.8% year-over-year but remaining flat compared to May 2024.

2024 Top US Manufacturing Hubs

The Business Facilities 20th Annual Rankings Report identifies leading locations for industries, focusing on factors crucial for business relocation and expansion. The July/August 2024 issue highlights the top hubs in manufacturing and logistics.

Japan’s Proposed Conveyor-Belt Freight Highway

The Japanese government is planning to connect major cities with automated zero-emissions logistics links to efficiently move millions of tons of cargo while reducing road traffic.

FMCSA's Confusing Excuse For Not Enforcing Own Rules

July 05, 2024

As freight fraud reaches epidemic levels, resulting in significant financial losses and stolen cargo, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has yet to communicate clearly on its enforcement duties. The agency's statements regarding its ability to assess civil penalties for "commercial" violations have caused confusion among carriers, brokers, and other freight market participants.

Largest US Ports Report Volume Declines For May

July 05, 2024

U.S. ports had mixed results in May. The Port of Los Angeles saw a 3% decrease in TEUs, while the Port of Long Beach experienced an 8.2% drop. Conversely, the Port of Oakland, Northwest Seaport Alliance, Port Houston, and Georgia Ports Authority reported significant growth in container volumes.

CBP Officers Seize $5.1 Million In Meth At Pharr Bridge

July 05, 2024

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Pharr International Bridge seized over $5.1 million worth of methamphetamine on June 30th.

Florida Logistics Company Awarded $2.3 Billion Freight Contract

Jacksonville-based logistics firm Crowley has been awarded a $2.3 billion contract by the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) for Defense Freight Transportation Services (DFTS II).

Carrier Review of the Week: GFS Group LLC 🏆

Carrier Review of the week, presented by CarrierSource. GFS Group LLC 🏆 for July 3, 2024

June LMI Shows Scattered Results

The Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) logged a 55.3 reading for June, indicating slight sequential decline but remaining in expansion territory for the seventh consecutive month and for 10 of the past 11 months.

FMCSA Active Freight Brokerages In July 2024

The number of active freight brokerages in the United States has continued to declined in 2024.

C.H Robinson Slashes US Sales Team

Truck brokerage C.H. Robinson reduced its U.S. sales team by approximately 80 employees on Thursday. This information comes from anonymous sources familiar with the company's actions.

Who Does The ATA Really Represent?

In May, the American Trucking Associations’ board of directors unanimously voted to extend the contract of current ATA President and CEO Chris Spear through 2029. The ATA cited Spear’s effectiveness in advancing the legislative agenda of its membership as the reason behind his tenure extension.

Stealing $9.5 Million Worth of Freight Shipments

A Chicago man is facing multiple federal charges related to the theft of $9.5 million worth of items, including liquor and commercial-grade copper, from interstate shipments.

Truck Transportation Jobs Down In May

Truck transportation jobs saw a significant decline in May, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), returning to the levels observed in November. Seasonally adjusted jobs decreased by 5,400 from April, bringing the total to 1,550,100, the same as in November.

How Satisfied Are Your Shippers? 3PL Study Reveals

The latest 3PL study from NTT Data, Penn State, and Penske, titled "The Power of Partnerships: Exploring Collaboration Through Data and Innovation," dives into the role of partnerships within the shipper and 3PL industry.

GreenPower Launches Electric Reefer Box Truck

GreenPower announced the launch of their new electric refrigerated delivery truck, the EV Star REEFERX.

U.S. Container Imports Continue To Gain Momentum

May 2024 saw significant growth in U.S. container imports, with a 6.2% increase from April and an 11.9% rise year-on-year, according to Descartes Systems Group’s June Global Shipping Report.

May Logistics Manager's Index Showing Strong Indicators

The Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI) read 55.6 in May 2024, up 2.7 points from April's 52.9. This marks expansion in 9 of the last 10 months, including the last six consecutively

The Truck Parking Debate: Paid vs Free

Discussions on FreightX, formerly known as Twitter, have highlighted the critical issue of truck parking, particularly the debate between paid versus free parking.

ATRI Releases New Research Priorities for 2024

June 03, 2024

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is tackling critical issues facing the trucking industry with its newly announced research priorities for 2024.