Federal Freight Numbers: The amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry fell 0.1% in June from May, following no change in the index from April to May, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Freight Transportation Services Index. The June 2012 index level (109.5) was 16.1% above the…
It was a dog and pony show starring a fuel-efficient big rig with enough bells and whistles to draw longing looks from fleet managers, drivers and trucking company executives.The low-riding, diesel fuel-sipping Cascadia Evolution, Daimler Freightliner’s next big offering to trucking companies, rolled into Memphis on a mission to create…
For many years, Western Star Trucks played last fiddle in truck sales symphonies, with U.S. Class 8 market share numbers of 1% and less. The company’s share climbed a bit when it was bought by Freightliner in 2000. Since sibling Sterling Truck fell by the wayside in 2008, parent company…
he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Friday, June 29, ordered Tennessee-based truck company Three Angels Farms and its owners, Edwin Ayache and Dorian Ayache, to cease all transportation services immediately based on serious safety violations that posed an imminent hazard to public safety. The agency said the shutdown order…
Tennessee Trucking: Although a new study raises doubts about the reliability of CSA scores, those scores increasingly help federal regulators shut down unsafe trucking companies. Last week the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered motor carrier Three Angel Farms out of service, citing, among other criteria, high CSA scores. The…
Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico was 6.2 percent higher in March than in March 2011, totaling $85.8 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. March was the highest…
The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) has inducted four drivers into its Hall of Fame during its annual conference in King City yesterday. The Hall of Fame – found online at www.pmtc.ca –is sponsored by Huron Services Group and recognizes superior over the road performance by drivers whose…
As a result of a partnership with multiple organizations in Lehigh Valley, Pa., a Titan by Mack now greets visitors to the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, an arts and cultural center and the former site of Bethlehem Steel. Mack partnered with ArtsQuest, which manages the Levitt Pavilion, and the Lehigh…
TruckNews, in co-operation with Volvo Trucks, has produced a two-part video series on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and how fleets and drivers can help prevent them. MSDs and slips and falls are some of the leading causes of lost time injuries among professional drivers. Yet, it’s an issue that’s frequently overlooked…
Arkansas Best Corporation (ABFS), a leading provider of freight transportation and logistics solutions, today announced it closed on the previously announced purchase of Panther Expedited Services, Inc. (“Panther”), from Fenway Partners LLC, for approximately $180 million, adding that all of Panther’s outstanding debt has been repaid. The $100 million term…
The Trucking Industry has experienced a strong recovery in 2012, as fewer trucking companies have failed in the first quarter of 2012 than in recent years. Companies who have survived the recent recession will be well-positioned to profit going forward. The Paragon Report examines investing opportunities in the Trucking Industry…
FTR Associates on Wednesday, June 13, announced that its Shippers Conditions Index for April basically was unchanged from the previous month with a moderately negative reading of -5.4. The SCI sums up all market influences that affect shippers; a reading above zero suggests a favorable shipping environment, while a reading…
Automotive transportation provider Allied Systems Holdings on Sunday, June 10, announced that the company has implemented a financial restructuring through Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code as part of its plan to eliminate debt and strengthen its balance sheet. The company said it will continue normal operations in the…
FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) for April moved significantly higher from the previous month, climbing 2.7 points to a favourable reading of 9.1. The TCI is a compilation of factors affecting trucking companies. Any reading above zero indicates a positive environment for truckers with readings above 10 a sign that…
Professional drivers from the East Coast Atlantic provinces competed last weekend to earn a spot in the National Professional Truck Driving Championships, which this year will be hosted by their home association. Winners in the provincial competition included: Roy Mattinson, Roy Mattinson and Sons, two-axle; Steve MacPhee, Day & Ross…
The American Trucking Associations continues to prod the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to change its approach to measuring crash accountability in its CSA safety enforcement program. Yesterday, the association challenged the agency to release a study it has done on the feasibility of using police reports to gauge crash…
Ohio on Friday, June 1, became the 39th state to prohibit texting behind the wheel by all drivers after Gov. John Kasich signed a new law that prohibits texting while driving. “I commend Governor Kasich and the Ohio legislature for taking an important stand against the dangers of texting while…
Freightliner: The next step in Daimler Trucks North America’s continuing quest for more fuel-efficient trucks appeared at a press conference on Wednesday, May 30, on the eve of Freightliner’s annual dealer meeting in Washington, D.C. The 2014 Cascadia Evolution is designed to be what its model name implies: a sophisticated…
PEORIA, Ill. — Caterpillar has announced the availability of its 15-litre CT15 engine in the CT660 vocational truck. The CT15 rounds out the engine line, which currently consists of a CT11 and CT13 engine with 11 and 13 litres displacement respectively. The new offering can provide as much as 550…
Hidden Compartments: A bill halfway through the Ohio statehouse is intended to get tough with truckers and others who are believed to be involved in drug trafficking. Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving forward with a similar effort. The Ohio Senate voted 30-2 to advance a bill that targets hidden compartments in…
A business broker is someone paid to buy and sell businesses. Unlike a Realtor, who lists and sells real estate, a business broker specializes in buying and selling business entities. Becoming a business broker doesn’t require a considerable amount of advanced education; however, you must have a significant amount of…
The trucking industry employs more than 10 million people in the U.S. and brings in well over $600 billion in gross revenues every year, 5 percent of the U.S. GDP. The trucking industry is dominated by a few big companies, but there are thousands of small businesses and independent truckers…
