Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

Over the last decade, nuclear verdictswhich often exceed $10 millionhave created a dark cloud over the commercial trucking industry. Consequences from these verdicts, where the evidence in many cases doesnt support the monetary award, include skyrocketing insurance premiums and even business shutdowns for some motor carriers.

The peak body for transport says the state's border checkpoints need to be more streamlined for truck and freight drivers to avoid major delays and prevent drivers from losing money by the minute.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) said before the pandemic that the trucking industry was facing a shortfall of nearly 61,000 drivers and would need to hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers over the next decade to keep pace with increasing freight demands.

Several trucking and logistics companies are collectively owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after a 101-year-old specialty glass fabricator and its subsidiaries ceased operations and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in mid-July.

As 14 Minnesota counties face severe drought conditions and are under a primary agricultural disaster designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order that waives trucking regulations to support state livestock producers who are facing a significant decrease in the availability of hay and other forage.

President Joe Biden is pushing new rail regulations that lower rates for ag shippers, but major railroad companies say the rules designed to spur competition would increase their costs and ultimately backfire on customers. Earlier this month, Biden signed an executive order asking the Surface Transportation Board to consider finalizing a proposed rule, originally issued in 2016, that would require the largest Class I railroads to participate in the practice known as competitive switching.

Hot and dry weather is expected for the next week or two, but forecasts vary on how dry August will be. Any weather shift could shake up the market. Debates continue if the areas where crops look great can make up for the northwest Corn Belts reduced yields due to persistent hot and dry weather. The market still has a premium price in place, if overall trendline yields are produced.

Scotch whisky maker Glenfiddich has begun converting its delivery trucks to run on low-emission biogas made from waste products from its own whisky distilling process as part of a "closed loop" sustainability initiative, it said on Tuesday.

In this episode, Jared brings on Travis, Nick, and Bill with International Feed to discuss their company and what they do. They do hopper and intermodal work and also have a broker side to the business. Jared asks them about market trends and what impact the pandemic had on their company. Travis- Senior Logistics Man

Two U.S. senators proposed repealing the excise tax on new trucks as an effort to modernize the freight industry. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), policymakers on the highways and freight committees, respectively, recently introduced legislation that would undo a 12% tax on new truck and trailer purchases.

Buried in the U.S. House and Senate versions of highway reauthorization legislation currently being negotiated are provisions that would allow billions of dollars to be spent dismantling portions of the interstate highway system without replacing the lost transportation capacity. The provisions Reconnecting Neighborhoods in the House version, Reconnecting Communities in the Senate reflect the Biden administrations goals of using infrastructur

Evaluating freight rates varies by farm. Some farmers have fixed labor costs that need to be paid out all year long regardless of if that labor is hauling grain or doing nothing else. Some farmers, due to other commitments, may not have enough time to load trucks or move grain at any time during the marketing year that they want. These are all valid concerns and need to be considered to determine whats best for each farm. Following summarizes how we evaluate freight costs for our farm.

By 8 p.m., an evacuation order was lifted and the danger had passed, but the damage was done. The building had fallen in, the elevator itself was gone and an office area was destroyed, said Janine Teske, who lives nearby. "Our community could use some prayers right now," Teske said in a video posted to Facebook as the fire raged. "It breaks my heart."

Bob Sinner, a specialty soybean producer in North Dakota, has a major problem on his hands: He has plenty of beans, but he's struggling to ship them to his customers overseas, and his deliveries are running at least a month and a half behind schedule. "We've had customers in Asia that have had to stop their operations waiting for supply," Sinner says. "Our farmers need to get their storage facilities emptied because we have a new crop that's coming in September, October. We have to get this p

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture held a video meeting with creditors of Pipeline Foods LLC of Fridley, Minn., in the Minneapolis area, urging them to file claims for the bankrupt companys $500,000 bond, and eventually to its bankruptcy trust. The company had recently expanded heavily into organic markets, and had a reputation for fighting foreign fake organic products.

Steve Kelly, co-founder and chairman of ELAP Services, discusses the latest healthcare trends in the trucking industry and what independent truck drivers as well as fleet owners can do to operate with proper healthcare coverage.

PULASKI, Va. (WFXR) Town officials in Pulaski say KTI LTD, a local trucking company, illegally disposed of approximately 500-600 gallons of curdled milk in a storm drain at the former Pulaski Furniture Company site.

Timber haulers who took a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible for up to $125,000 from a pot of $200 million made available by the federal government.

Jared brings on Dean Grose, CEO of Comtech Industries, to discuss their Fluid Measurement Technology. Dean explains the use of this product and why it's so important to have. Learn more at: https://comtechindustriesinc.com/ou

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation after multiple fleets reported issues with air brake systems which include vehicle fires.

An Ohio Sheriffs Deputy is garnering attention for the way he helped rescue a truck driver in a crashed semi that was leaking fuel while he was off duty.

It wasn't just for fun, but it was pretty cool. The professional driver took a dump truck loaded with sand and water into the structure at 60 mph to demonstrate its effectiveness after a redesign.

Heres an interesting question for you: Why become a truck driver if you had to convince a group of young people why its a good profession? If you were in this position, what would you tell them? Were surrounded by so much negative minutia that some of us never take the chance to truly appreciate what we do for our livelihood.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH)--AAA Oklahoma is stressing the importance of 'Move Over' laws following the death of an Ohio truck driver on the 4th of July.

The St. Louis regions position as the most efficient inland port in the United States has been strengthened following the recent addition of a new grain handling terminal on the banks of the Mississippi River in Cahokia, Illinois, adding additional capacity in the area known as the Ag Coast of America.

Troopers in six states will soon be kicking off a weeklong traffic enforcement effort targeting unsafe drivers. The enforcement effort is dubbed the Six-State Trooper Project and will take place July 18th-24th.

Theres currently a nationwide deficit of both long-haul and short-run truck drivers, and it will impact the transit of bulk milk, feed, fuel, and processed dairy products if it hasnt already.

Trucking a bushel of wheat 45 miles to the Port of Lewiston from Neil and Amy Uptmors Camas Prairie farm on a ridge above Peck costs 30 cents. Barging that same bushel of grain about 360 miles from Lewiston to Portland on the Snake and Columbia rivers runs 66 cents, Neil Uptmor said. Those pennies loom large in the debate about breaching the four lower Snake River dams, an issue that has been pushed into the spotlight in recent months.

Livestock haulers want federal regulators to keep in place the 16-month-long emergency hours-of-service waiver for truck drivers and carriers until at least the end of August despite an economy that has largely reopened for business.

Transportation officials in Georgia have shut down a portion of I-16 in both directions after a major dump truck vs. bridge strike.

In this episode, Jared brings on Dale Hermans to discuss a tough topic in the industry. Dale talks about fitness in the trucking world and how important it is to keep yourself in shape while on the job. He provides workout tips while you're on the road and dives into nutrition as well.

The abrupt closure of K-Ratios fuel hedging program in late June has left trucking companies scrambling as they await answers from the Chicago-based company as to what happened and when or if participating carriers will recoup money owed to them for June settlements and if they will be reimbursed for future fuel swap option contracts they paid cash to lock in fuel prices into 2022.

Heat and humidity are building up across several areas of the country, leading to good odds of truckers running into showers and thunderstorms. Storms could become particularly strong to severe in some places the next couple of days.

TransWood, a privately-owned trucking company specializing in liquid and dry bulk transportation, announces the purchase of Jensen Transport of Minnesota, as of July 12, 2021. Jensen has been a long-time tank truck carrier in Minnesota and the surrounding geography hauling bio-fuels, anhydrous ammonia and LPGs.

Three federal agencies recently held a roundtable to discuss truck driver recruitment and retention.

A Houston truck driver was sentenced to federal prison after he was caught smuggling more than 100 people across the border in what was supposed to be a load of lettuce.

Pipeline Foods, a US-based supply chain solutions company focused exclusively on organic, non-GMO and regenerative food and feed, announced on July 9 that it has filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) announced today that is has completed the previously announced sale of 35 U.S. interior elevators to Zen-Noh Grain Corporation.

Pilot Company and Peterbilt surprised Daniel at the event, presenting him with a custom Peterbilt truck that is reminiscent of the rig his father, Jim, drove during his tenure at Pilot. Family is very important for Pilot Company, which has been a family-owned business for 63 years, and this tradition rings true with Jim and Daniel Abshire. In 1971, Jim Abshire was the second driver ever hired by Pilot. Based in Virginia, Jim became the company's first lead driver and drove for Pilot for 42 ye

All State Association CEO Steve Avetyan describes his family as the originals in setting up an elaborate network of transportation companies largely based in Southern California, but claims that his business platform is very different from his uncles and cousins double-brokering scheme that landed them in prison. In March 2011, Steves uncle, Rubik Avetyan, and his cousins, Rubiks sons Allen and Alfred, were sentenced to between four and

In this episode, Jared sits down with Trae Viser, branch manager for Arrow Truck Sales. Trae breaks down truck sales and provides insight on how Arrow Truck operates, they take pride in their business and strive to take care of owner-operators. Reach Arrow Truck Sales by visiting their website: www.arrowtruck.com

Freightwaves CEO Craig Fuller speaks to Bloomberg's Taylor Riggs and Guy Johnson about elevated shipping rates going into the summer on "Bloomberg Markets". (Source: Bloomberg)

Truckings music history has no shortage of light-hearted songs, such as Kay Adams Little Pink Mack, Charlie Walkers Truck Drivin Cat With Nine Wives or The Legendary Shack Shakers The CB Song.

As Independence Day weekend comes to a close, let's not forget all the Americans past and present who have made this nation what it is. And, of course, the trucking industry is front and center as it continues to carry the U.S. economy on its backout of the pandemic and into the future. In that spirit, here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.

The Walcott Truckers Jamboree will be Thursday-Saturday at the Iowa 80 Truckstop, with music, food and events, including the Super Truck Beauty Contest, which celebrate drivers. Parking and admission are free. Casey Muessigmann will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, with Dani Lynn Howe opening the show at 5 p.m.; Lonestar will be in concert 7 p.m. Friday with North of 40 kicking off the show at 5 p.m. Mos Garage will play at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania sentenced John Joseph, Gavin Rexer, Joseph Powell, Dennis Paulhamus and Timothy Sweitzer each to one year of probation and a $100 assessment for conspiring to defraud the United States and violating the Clean Air Act. Joseph, Rexer and Powell were also sentenced to 50 hours of community service, Paulhamus received a $15,000 fine, and Sweitzer was fined $10,000.

Orville Schuster started Schuster Grain with a single grain truck in 1956. This year marks the companys 65th anniversary.

Provision passes within House version of highway bill, along with automatic emergency brake mandate and regulations affecting truck dispatch services

After more than a year of pandemic restrictions, nearly 50 million Americans are expected to travel during the Independence Day break and while motorists are used to paying a premium for fuel on holidays, theres also the risk that some pumps could be running dry.

Allendale Commodity Broker Greg McBride tells IARN the acreage report shows farmers planted 92.7 million acres of corn, 87.6 million acres of soybeans, and 46.7 million acres of wheat this year.

Almost half a billion dollars is buried at the bottom of the Mississippi River, and the U.S. soybean industry is confident the vast sum is waiting at a depth of 50. A massive effort is underway to dredge the lower Mississippi along its final 250-mile stretch, and the results could provide major financial benefits to American farmers.

On wheels Does your freight ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wondering if itll ever get picked up again? With the Fourth rapidly approaching, tender rejections are soaring upward like Katy Perry performing Firework at the Super Bowl, squeezing shippers with another crackle of tightness. For the first time in June, 1-in-4 contracted loads are being rejected as capacity is removed from the market and drivers hit their Webers for the holiday.<

In this episode, Jared brings on Wade Riffey with Riffey Transport to discuss transloading and how it's beneficial to bulk haulers. Wade brings up relevant topics like wait times for trucks and electronic logs. Click Here to Listen on BulkLoads

The local blank-check company will combine with a company that allows semi trucks to hit the road without drivers.

As the U.S. House Committee on Rules meets Monday afternoon and Tuesday to discuss which amendments will be included in the bill sent to the full House floor later this week, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and a coalition of more than 60 trucking-related groups penned a letter to the House Rules Committee advocating for an amendment that would remove a liability insurance hike to $2 million for motor carriers.

The aftermarket took center stage in the acquisition space this month, with three established businesses growing their installation and service networks with key expansions. Dealers activity slowed after a busy spring, though one dealer continued its rapid 2021 expansion campaign.