Transport Topics

The House and Senate passed a nine-week spending bill Thursday to avert a U.S. government shutdown just hours before it was set to begin. The House approved the extension with a 254-175 vote and the Senate passed it 65-35. The bill includes $28.6 billion set aside for states recovering from hurricanes and wildfires as well as $6.3 billion to resettle Afghan refugees. Learn more about your ad choic...

Navistar Inc. announced the launch of the diesel version of its redesigned International MV Series, calling it a reimagining of its medium-duty vehicles for increased maneuverability, visibility and safety. The company highlighted the new MV for utility, dry van and snow plow applications. The MV Series has two engine options, the Cummins Inc. B6.7 and L9, offering improved fuel efficiency as well...

A highway project vital to the flow of freight and commuters in Colorado will receive additional federal backing, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced recently. Kiewit Meridiam Partners was provided a direct TIFIA loan of up to $464.9 million to finalize the construction project. The firm is tasked with helping to realize myriad benefits associated with the corridor, such as reductions...

With the U.S. House of Representatives scheduled to consider key aspects of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure agenda this week, a group of Republican lawmakers continues to advocate for additional access to truck parking. Even though truck parking is currently not included in the $3.5 trillion budget bill, senior Republicans on the Transportation and Infrastructure panel are pressing for the ad...

The Port of Houston says it successfully defended its infrastructure against an attempted hack back in August. ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus, a password management program, was the targeted software. News of the hack was initially disclosed at a Senate committee hearing on Thursday. According to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly, it is believed to have been a...

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency concluded after its recent Run on Less — Electric event that fleets in four market segments could switch to battery-electric vehicles right now. During the 18-day event that involved 13 freight-hauling trucks, NACFE concluded that Class 3 through 5 vans and step vans, Class 6 box trucks and Class 8 terminal and regional-haul tractors all could feas...

The number of positive driver drug tests through August increased by nearly 13 percent compared to last year according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse report. Since the clearinghouse went into effect last January, the number of positive driver drug tests has reached 95,740. Marijuana accounts for more than 53 percent of positive drug tests and has be...

Truck tonnage in August notched its first sequential monthly gain in five months, and dipped just slightly on a year-over-year basis, American Trucking Associations said. The ATA For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 0.5% in August compared with July. Compared with August 2020, the index saw a 0.5% decline. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello noted that while August’s monthly gain was small, it was the f...

FedEx announced a plan to spend more than $100 million to improve its delivery van safety. Improving safety and installing cameras will reduce costs from accidents, which drag on short-term earnings at a time when the courier also is facing rising wage costs and other expenses. FedEx’s ground unit is offering to reimburse its contract drivers up to $1,500 per vehicle to install cameras and sensors...

Used Class 8 truck sales dipped 24% in August compared with a year ago, and now sit 5% lower than July sales. Despite sales falling, the average price of used trucks soared. Prices last year in August were 47% lower than this year. According to ACT Vice President Steve Tam, in a normal year August used truck sales would have increased, but the current market is not typical. Learn more about your a...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is undergoing a medical review of recently recalled CPAP machines commonly used by drivers that have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. According to the voluntary recall posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the machines put users at risk of chemical and debris exposure. The machine contains foam components that are included to reduce noise...

Seven more individuals have been charged in an ongoing federal investigation of intentional collisions with trucks in New Orleans. In the charges, it is said the individuals conspired with each other and others to stage car accidents with tractor-trailers in an attempt to defraud the trucking and insurance companies. In total, 40 people have been charged in connection to these staged accidents. If...

Trailer orders for the month of August hit 15,100, marking the fourth-highest sale volume in 2021. According to FTR Vice President of Commercial Vehicles, Don Ake, fleets are desperate for new trailers and anticipate an even greater need moving into 2022. Trailer order totals for the month do not include Great Dane, one of the largest trailer manufacturers, because they have stopped taking orders...

Class 8 sales in August bumped up 2.8% to 18,176 compared with 17,685 in the same 2020 period, according to WardsAuto.com. All truck makers but two saw sales increase compared with a year earlier. Freightliner and Volvo Trucks North America saw sales drop, although Freightliner remained the leader in market share at 36.6%. Mack Trucks, a unit of Volvo, had the largest jump in sales at 46.4%. Learn...

UPS Inc. announced it had agreed to purchase Roadie, a same-day delivery service, for an undisclosed amount. Roadie will operate under its name as a separate company. Roadie’s operations are based on technology that allows the startup to match packages to gig drivers who download its application. The company has 200,000 verified operators who deliver to more than 20,000 ZIP codes. Learn more about...

Canadian Pacific Railway has edged ahead of rival Canadian National in the back-and-forth battle to acquire Kansas City Southern, as a key vote from KCS shareholders and an earlier ruling from the Surface Transportation Board point toward resolution of a duel that has been brewing for the better part of six months. The KCS board of directors on Sept. 4 stated unanimously that it believes the lates...

Democratic congressional leaders vowed yesterday to forge ahead this month with President Joe Biden’s economic plan despite deep divisions within the party and growing uncertainty about the overall size and scope of the tax and spending proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t specifically commit to the $3.5 trillion price tag included in a fiscal blueprint that very narrowly cleared both chamb...

Technology experts are urging trucking fleets to replace or upgrade tools that operate on 2G or 3G networks. Cell providers expect to phase out, or sunset, those networks within the next few years, rendering devices that rely on them obsolete. Federal agencies are encouraging action as well, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration establishing a list of electronic logging devices...

August orders for Class 8 trucks in North America reached 36,900, ACT Research reported. That would be the highest monthly order total in five months. In August of 2020, orders reached just 19,500. FTR pegged preliminary orders at 39,400. FTR said OEMs remain cautious about fully booking all 2022 orders, as price negotiations continue with numerous fleets. In addition, manufacturers are still havi...

As battery-electric vans and medium-duty trucks become more prominent, the charging infrastructure those vehicles will require must expand, too, according to panelists speaking at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, Calif. Having infrastructure in place will be "the impetus and motivation” for a customer to go into this electric last mile, Oshkosh CEO John Pfeifer said. Oshkosh r...

The largest commercial deployment of battery-electric trucks in North America is ramping up in Southern California, state officials announced. One hundred heavy-duty trucks — 50 from Daimler Trucks North America and 50 from Volvo Trucks North America — will be delivered beginning next year and into 2023. They will operate in drayage and regional haul applications at the Port of Los Angeles and Por...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Aug. 29 issued a regional emergency declaration offering relief from regulations related to maximum driving time provisions for property-carrying vehicles and passenger-carrying vehicles. The declaration encompasses Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas and applies to drivers who are providing direct assistance in support...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is accepting public comments on the agency’s intention to request approval for an information collection regarding event data recorders. NHTSA issued the request for comments in a notice published in the Federal Register on Aug. 26. Written comments should be submitted by Oct. 25. NHTSA, which is responsible for carrying out the National Traffic a...

The White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Friday that John Porcari will serve as port envoy to the administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. The goal of the task force, which was established in June, is to provide a federal response to supply chain challenges as the country recovers economically from the coronavirus pandemic. Porcari will work with Transportat...

July sales of used Class 8 vehicles, along with the average price for a heavy-duty truck, rose year-over-year again, ACT Research reported. Sales were 22,800 units compared with 18,000 a year earlier and landed flat compared with June. The average price for a Class 8 in July was $59,377 compared with $40,666 in 2020. Last month’s average price also fell from June’s $61,219, which was the highest i...