Transport Topics

To help communities rebuild vital infrastructure damaged by extreme weather and wildfires, the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced $512 million in Emergency Relief Program funds to help 30 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “We must address the devastating impacts of climate change and work to build more sustainable...

After a seven-year wait, FMCSA has released a draft copy of the Medical Examiners Handbook that offers revised guidance to help examiners ensure that truck drivers are in good health. The medical examinations are critical to confirming that drivers do not have serious medical conditions that could risk public safety. However, there are some criticisms of the newest version of the document, includi...

Electric vehicle maker Nikola announced two executive level changes and also that it has commenced an exchange offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock of energy-storage technology company Romeo Power. Nikola is splitting its Energy and Commercial division. Pablo Koziner, currently president of Energy and Commercial, now is president of Commercial. Carey Mendes, who runs the Global...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking comment on a request by an alliance of large motor carriers for an exemption that would permit the carriers to report “actual knowledge” of a truck driver’s positive hair drug test to the agency’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The carriers, who belong to a group called The Trucking Alliance, have drug tested tens of thousands of drivers...

We just released our list of the Transport Topics Top 100 private fleets in North America. PepsiCo once again topped the list, and there was a shift at Nos. 2 and 3. Walmart took the No. 2 spot this year, passing Sysco, which now ranks No. 3. Rounding out the top 5 are US Foods and Performance Food Group. Check out the full list, analysis, and extras related to private fleets at ttnews.com. Learn...

The average retail price of a used Class 8 vehicle in July inched past $90,000 to tower over the year-ago price, but it also dipped slightly from June to extend the market’s ongoing softening, ACT Research reported. July’s average retail price was $91,928 compared with $64,226 a year earlier. But it also was down 1% from June’s $92,734 — the fourth consecutive sequential decline. ACT Vice Presiden...

More autonomous truck testing is happening in Texas, this time an effort between Daimler Truck and Waymo. The companies will partner to put self-driving trucks on a route between Dallas and Houston via Interstate 45, a corridor that has become one of the country’s key testing grounds for driverless trucks. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., creates the technology that can...

July truck tonnage rose 5.1% year-over-year, but dropped about 1% from June’s number, per American Trucking Associations. The federation’s chief economist, Bob Costello, said: “While tonnage is much stronger than a year ago, the monthly gains have moderated as the year has gone on. The combination of softer consumption of goods, home construction falling and slower manufacturing activity are the m...

Heartland Express Inc. on Aug. 22 announced plans to acquire Contract Freighters’ nondedicated truckload business as well as Mexican entities under CFI Logistica in a $525 million deal. The enterprise value of the transaction, which Heartland said is the largest it has ever done, is calculated on a cash-free and debt-free basis and is subject to certain adjustments. The deal is expected to close i...

U.S. trailer orders in July roared ahead compared with a year earlier but slumped when measured against earlier months this year, ACT Research reported, citing trailer makers’ final data. Net orders were 16,997 compared with the low of 8,128 a year earlier, when the supply chain was at its most disrupted, as one trailer maker executive said at the time.. July’s order volume also was the second low...

Yesterday marked the second day of the National Truck Driving Championships driving portion, and competitors across the vehicle classes reported being impressed with the course’s degree of difficulty. The drivers took to the course Wednesday and Thursday, and today, winners of each division will be announced. They will advance to the final round, with winners crowned later tonight. Make sure to ch...

LAS VEGAS — Navistar Inc. premiered a new, integrated powertrain as part of an update for its International LT Series truck line Aug. 16. The S13 Integrated Powertrain, which Navistar developed in collaboration with parent company Traton Group, consists of three distinct components — an engine, a transmission and an aftertreatment system. Company executives said the setup delivers a fuel-efficienc...

Classes 4-7 U.S. retail sales in July slipped 7.3% compared with a year earlier, and only Class 6 with its typical base of bigger customers posted a gain, Wards Intelligence reported. Class 6 sales rose 24.1 percent to 5,440 compared with 4,385 a year earlier. Total sales were 17,682 compared with 19,082 in the 2021 period. Except for March’s 21,002 sales, the medium-duty market has been steady, a...

A bill to force truckers to stay away from Delaware residential parking or pay skyrocketing fines up to $2,000 awaits action by Gov. John Carney after it sailed through the state General Assembly largely unopposed. Sen. Nicole Poore described how the legislation would change the state parking code by drastically hiking minimum and maximum penalties for violating parking restrictions in residential...

Steven Cliff, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is stepping down from his post for a leadership role at the California Air Resources Board. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to social media on Aug. 12 to praise Cliff’s contributions at the agency. “Thanks to administrator Cliff for his tremendous service and leadership at NHTSA and his work to protect the l...

Debate on a multibillion-dollar budget bill targeting supply chain connectivity concerns, clean energy initiatives and economic incentives remains front-and-center on Capitol Hill. A vote on the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act is expected in the House of Representatives today. That follows Senate passage of the bill, which occurred Aug. 7 along party lines. House approval of the Senate-passed...

Soaring prices for diesel fuel, rising maintenance costs and higher wages for drivers pushed the price of operating a truck up 12.7% in 2021 to $1.855 per mile — the highest level on record — according to a report released Aug. 10 by the American Transportation Research Institute. The study determined that higher fuel prices were the biggest contributor to the gain, up 35.4% compared with 2020. Re...

President Joe Biden signed into law yesterday legislation designed to enhance domestic semiconductor manufacturing and alleviate supply chain bottlenecks. Specifically, the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act dedicates more than $50 billion in grants for the semiconductor sector and related industries. The law also proposes to strengthen several programs related to science, technology, engineering...

In the first half of 2022, independent engine maker Cummins Inc. supplied a leading 47,713 Class 8 diesel engines, or 35.5% of the 134,373 used, Wards Intelligence reported. Detroit Diesel, a brand of Daimler Truck North America, was next highest, supplying 40,632 Class 8 engines for a 30.2% share. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Industry supplier Commercial Vehicle Group reported second-quarter net income and revenue fell, and new pricing began in July. Net income for the quarter ended June 30 was $2.5 million on revenue of $250.8 million, compared with net income of $5.1 million on revenue of $257.9 million a year earlier. New pricing began with its largest customer on July 1, and with several other customers in 2022, an...

Mario Harik will succeed Brad Jacobs as chief executive of XPO Logistics starting in the fourth quarter, the company announced Aug. 4. Harik also will join the board of directors after XPO’s planned spinoff of its tech-enabled brokerage platform in Q4. Jacobs will remain with XPO as executive chairman and become nonexecutive chairman of the spinoff. The company further announced that Harik has bee...

GXO Logistics Inc. closed out its first year as an independent company with revenue and earnings growth in the second quarter of 2022, the company reported Aug. 2. The Greenwich, Conn.-based contract logistics business posted net income of $52 million, or 44 cents a diluted share, for the three months ending June 30. That compared with $14 million, 10 cents a share, during the year-ago period when...

Western Star is launching a new Class 8 over-the-road model that parent company Daimler Truck North America promises will deliver on the niche brand’s reputation for dependability and toughness, while adding advanced safety, driver comfort and fuel efficiency features. The Western Star 57X, which the company showcased in Ypsilanti, Mich., joins two earlier versions in its X series — the 47X, intro...

Autonomous technology developer Aurora Innovation Inc. and Schneider National Inc. have announced a commercial pilot effort to haul freight for Schneider’s customers with Aurora Driver, Aurora’s autonomous technology. Under the pilot, Aurora will begin weekly autonomous hauls beginning the week of Aug. 1 between Dallas and Houston, with Aurora vehicle operators on board the trucks. Learn more abou...

Truck dealership Rush Enterprises reported record second-quarter net income and revenue, citing strong freight demand and consumer spending that resulted in increased sales of commercial vehicles, parts and services. Net income for the quarter ended June 30 was $110.6 million on revenue of $1.8 billion compared with net income of $58 million and revenue of $1.3 billion a year earlier. The company...