Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimated 91.5 million acres of corn planted in the United States for 2024, down 3% from last year, according to the Acreage report released today. Soybean area planted is estimated at 86.1 million acres, up 3% from last year. Following up on the Prospective Plantings report released in March, NASS surveyed approximately 9,000 segments of land and nearly 64,000 farm operators during the first two weeks

Used Class 8 truck sales in May increased 18.1% compared with the same period the prior year, ACT Research reported. Sales increased to 22,800 units from 19,300 during May 2023. But there was no change in sales from the prior month. The average retail sale price fell 15.5% year-over-year to $58,380 from $69,073, and 1.5% from $59,269 the prior month. Mileage decreased 2.1% to 417,000 from 426,000 a year ago, and 0.5% from 419,000 the prior month. “We anticipate the price outlook

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On April 10, 2024, a Dallas County trial court jury returned a Nuclear Verdict® of $37.5 million,1 This case involved a gruesome and tragic accident between two commercial vehicles and resulted in the death of one driver. What might have driven jurors to award such a significant verdict? Facts On August 7, 2021, Shamser Singh, who was working as a commercial driver for AVS Trucking LLC, stopped his tractor-trailer partially on the shoulder and partially in the right lan

TFI International acquired Entreposage Marco Inc. for an undisclosed sum, its fifth takeover in 2024 and second of a food-grade liquids hauler, the company announced in a LinkedIn post. Based in Montreal, TFI ranks No. 4 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and continues to grow through acquisitions. Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec-based Entreposage — a stainless steel tank hauler — specializes in transporting edible products, including

While enduring a prolonged freight recession, the largest trucking companies in North America have been surviving on lower rates and tightly managing their operating expenses as they await a market rebound. The financial strain caused by the freight downturn, which took hold in mid-2022 and has continued for two years into the first half of 2024, is plainly evident on this latest edition of Transport Topics’ Top 100 For-Hire Carriers list. The preponderance of companies that app

With tighter commercial truck greenhouse gas emissions regulations poised to take effect in 2027, most of the industry seems to agree that truck pre-buy activity will be substantial next year and into 2026, said Chris Visser, director of specialty vehicles at J.D. Power. At a recent media event, Magnus Koeck, vice president of strategy, marketing and brand management for Volvo Trucks North America, said his company is already seeing signs of pre-buy activity, particularly among private

FTR reports a significant dropoff in U.S. trailer orders in May, falling 56% from the April level to 5,766 units, which is down 14% year-over-year and 65% below the average for the last 12 months. The number of trailers ordered over the last 12 months now totals 198,200 units. FTR says the May decrease was primarily driven by a substantial drop in gross orders coupled with the sustained high level of cancellations. Trailer production decreased by 5% month-over-month and 22%

Market reports for the month of May find hopeful improvements for some trucking segments. Freight volumes are looking up for fleets in both spot and contract markets—particularly for van and reefer loads. Rates remain steady, with modest changes that vary by segment. American Trucking Associations and DAT Freight & Analytics provide monthly market reports that provide these findings. The two organizations found that freight volumes in May saw long-awaited year-over-year incr

Although spot rates increased for two of the three principal equipment types, total broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop system were essentially unchanged during the week ended June 14 (week 24) due to changes in the freight mix. Meanwhile, spot truckload rates bounced higher in May in the DAT One freight marketplace as shippers sought capacity to move greater volumes of van and refrigerated freight, said DAT Freight & Analytics, operators of the DAT One fr

Sarah Adams of Gallagher predicts tech will revolutionize remote farming, enabling individual animal management for precision and sustainability. Emerging technologies are set to transform remote farming operations by allowing animals to be managed increasingly as individuals, Gallagher’s head of new ventures says.  Sarah Adams says the future of farming lies in greater precision – getting the most out of every animal and resource in the farm system. 

The amount of freight hauled by trucks in May improved in May after declining in April, according to the American Trucking Associations. ATA’s advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 3.6% in May after decreasing 1% in April. In May, the index equaled 115.9 (2015=100) compared with 111.9 in April. “May was the first month since February 2023 that tonnage increased both sequentially and from a year earlier,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “While

After decades of substantial U.S. agricultural trade surpluses, staggering agricultural trade deficits over the past two years have caught the nation’s attention. For fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 – September 2024), USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that there will be a record $32 billion agricultural trade deficit. The fiscal year 2024 deficit follows the current record deficit of $16.7 billion set in fiscal year 2023 and would be only the fourth agricultural trade deficit in the l

Appropriations action for fiscal year 2025 continued Thursday with the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee approving a bill setting funding levels for covered departments for next year. Among provisions in the bill is one that would prohibit the Department of Labor from implementing its independent contractor rule, which was finalized and took effect earlier this year.

If you're running multiple trucks, efficiency is crucial. BulkLoads offers a suite of tools specifically for bulk freight that allows you to: Dispatch Drivers Easily provide your drivers with what they need to haul a load. Make it easy for them to get tickets and paperwork back to you so you can invoice your customers faster. Invoice Your Customers Connect your QuickBooks and seamlessly invoice faster to increase your cash flow. Elimin

Farmers planted 91.5 million acres of corn and 86.1 million acres of soybeans with both coming in slightly higher than USDA's forecast in March. Corn grain stocks on June 1 were pegged at 4.99 billion bushels and soybeans came in at 970 million bushels. USDA on Friday released its Acreage report and quarterly Grain Stocks estimates. The reports, which were scheduled for release at 11 a.m. CDT, were delayed by several minutes due to a system failure at the National Agricultural S

A former New York trucking company owner was convicted by a federal jury of making false statements to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Tony Kirik, who also goes by Anatoliy, operated Rochester-based Dallas Logistics, which had millions of dollars in revenue. He submitted false documents regarding the safety rating of his business to the FMSCA during compliance reviews and safety audits, even though the company had “many safety violations,” the IRS said in an announceme

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released a new study on the unique challenges faced by women truck drivers. The results of the study “Identifying and Mitigating the Challenges Faced by Women Truck Drivers” were released by the ATRI on June 18, 2024. The ATRI surveyed both male and female truck drivers on key workplace problems that they experience on the job, then identified the following six core challenges for women truck dri

According to the latest reports from ACT Research, current Class 8 overcapacity and production levels may upset the market in the near future. Trailer and medium-duty truck forecasts were largely unchanged, ACT said. “Not only did April build not slow in the face of tough freight fundamentals, falling backlogs, and near-record inventories, production of Class 8 vehicles came in well ahead of expectations. Still strong production and an upwards adjustment to our inventory-carryi

The first signs of trucking's pre-buy ahead of 2027 emission regulations might be underway.  ACT Research reported Tuesday that trucking industry data was disinflationary in May, with truck orders rising despite lower Cass shipments and stalling spot trends. The company says the activity could show an industry prioritizing planning for emissions rules over cost economics. “Typically by this point in the cycle, Class 8 tractor orders have fallen considerably further, but

Viterra plans to build a grain facility in Dalhart, Texas, US, that will include a state-of-the-art grain handling systems and loop track served by Union Pacific Railroad’s 32,000-mile network. "As local demand for grain increases, this investment will allow us to market and move product more efficiently to customers in the West Texas area," said Rayner Freyberg, chief executive officer US & Mexico for Viterra. "As we've shown with our previous investments in the are

Covenant Logistics CEO David Parker told the Rotary Club of Chattanooga that battery-powered trucking and autonomous trucking are both far from reality. He said the money, infrastructure and technology that will bring that future to trucking won’t exist for many years. Mr. Parker told the crowd that air carriers can already fly a route with no pilot. But nothing compares with meeting the pilot, preferably gray-haired, he said, when embarking on his flight.

Conditions for trucking companies in April were significantly better than in March, according to the latest report from FTR. FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index indicated a more hospitable environment for carriers in April, while still remaining negative, at a reading of -1.95, up from -7.25 in March. That’s the best reading since January, when the TCI was at -1.41. Both freight rates and financing costs were less negative in April, and freight volume improved during the month, the

Trucking expenses climbed to a new high in 2023 for the third year in a row, according to research released Tuesday by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), dragged upward by a soft freight market that challenged operational efficiency. After first cresting the $2 per mile mark in 2022, the overall marginal costs of operating a truck hit a new record $2.270 per mile in 2023. Cost per mile has climbed 62.4 cents since 2020.  

As more and more people continue to shop online, the United States also continues to face a decline in qualified truck drivers to get those goods delivered. From those aging out or retiring, to barriers of entry for younger workers, experts say several factors are causing the massive shortage. But a community college in North Carolina is leading the charge in helping high school students prepare and qualify early to meet the demand.  Johnston Community College has been tra

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“Better days are in sight for trucking companies.” Words fleets are eager to hear, coming this week from FTR’s vice-president of trucking, Avery Vise. But the recovery is coming slowly and there still remains an imbalance between capacity and freight demand. Trucking conditions improved slightly in April according to FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index (TCI), which jumped up to -1.95 but remained in negative territory.

A new law to reduce the number of commercial truck permits the state requires might benefit the family business of the state lawmaker who pushed the measure. Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, authored Senate Bill 260 even though her husband Jody owns a commercial trucking company that could gain from the bill. Her legislation allows truckers to purchase fewer $2,500 annual state permits for hauling heavy equipment. It takes effect Aug. 1. Cloud said her husband’s company only

About 2,000 truck drivers, warehouse and dock workers, and office personnel of Humble, Texas-based U.S. Logistics Solutions (USLS), formerly Forward Air Solutions, say they were blindsided late Thursday when they were notified via conference calls or by text messages that the company was ceasing operations and that they would not receive paychecks Friday. Eric Culberson, former president of USLS, confirmed the closure in a LinkedIn post on Saturday, stating that thousands of workers we

Reuters’ P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume reported Monday that “after stockpiling crops for much of this season due to low prices, many farmers in the world’s largest corn-producing nation continue to shun buyers despite few signs that prices will improve. Grain supplies are ample and early ratings of summer crops are the best in years.” “A larger-than-normal volume of grain remains unsold, according to Reuters interviews with 15 grain farmers across the U.S. Midwest,” Huffstutter and P

At its New River Valley (NRV) operations center in Dublin, Va., Volvo held an event to detail every aspect of its all-new Volvo VNL truck. In addition to learning the ins-and-outs of the company’s decked-out Class 8 flagship model (wait for our follow up on the ride and drive experience on Volvo’s private test track), Magnus Koeck, vice president, strategy, marketing and brand management, Volvo Trucks North America, walked us through where we’re at in the North American heavy-duty trucking ma

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) shared video of a 916,000 pound super load on the move on Wednesday. Video shared on June 19 by ODOT press secretary Matt Bruning shows the twelfth of nearly two dozen “super loads” at SR 104 and 207 as the load is moved from Pike County and into Ross County. According to ODOT, the super load an air processor known as a cold box used in the silicon chip manufacturing process. It measures appr

Peterbilt announced Tuesday it has received more than 5,000 orders for its Model 589, highlighting the widespread acceptance and enthusiasm for the new model from both drivers and fleets. Peterbilt also recently celebrated the delivery of the 1,000th Model 589 to long-standing and valued customer, Mike Lowrie Trucking based in Dixon, California. “As the proud recipient of Peterbilt's 1,000th Model 589, I am reminded of the legacy that my family has shared with Peterb

The major advocacy groups for the petroleum products industry, the voice of independent trucking operators, and two major farming groups have joined orces to oppose the latest anti-pollution regulations aimed at heavy-duty trucks and other equipment.    The American Petroleum Institute (API) today, Tuesday, June 18, filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards for model years (MY

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) electric vehicle and truck mandates are working their way through the system – but not without pushback. On March 20, the EPA announced a final rule, known as “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Lighter-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles.” The EPA established new standards that it says will diminish air pollutant emissions from light- and medium-duty vehicles, starting with model year 2027 offerings.

Law enforcement from Arizona and other states descended on Congress on Wednesday, lobbying against a proposal to allow much heavier trucks on the nation’s highways. Backers say the idea would improve the supply chain. But Jeffrey Hawkins, president of the Arizona State Troopers Association, warned that heavier semitrailers would endanger other drivers and lead to more serious crashes. “We only have 63% of Phoenix filled, currently, with troopers,” he said outside the office of R

The trucking industry fuel demand remains remarkably stable, even amid rising fuel prices. This indicates that the demand for fuel in this sector is inelastic, underscoring its essential role in freight transportation. For a comprehensive overview of the trucking industry. In the trucking industry, the demand for fuel shows minimal sensitivity to price increases. This inelastic demand means that fuel consumption remains relatively constant, even when prices soar. This stabilit

A Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) trooper shared a social medial post over the weekend thanking grain harvesters for their hard work and perseverance. On June 15, 2023, Trooper Ben with KHP Troop C took to Facebook to give thanks for the work of the agricultural community in Kansas. Kansas grain harvesters… Today, as I drove through our state, I saw you all working hard, moving your precious crops from the fields to the local co-ops.

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A Georgia jury recently awarded more than $47 million to the family of a 35-year-old owner-operator who was killed in a August 2017 crash involving a former company driver for Wisconsin-based Schneider National Carriers.  “Nuclear verdicts” are described as jury awards in which penalties exceed $10 million. Following a five-day trial, jurors in Cherokee County State Court in Canton, Georgia, awarded $47 million in compensatory damages on June 7 against Schneider National (NYSE:

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators have approved a 25% increase in fees collected by states from motor carriers, brokers and leasing companies that are used to pay for state highway safety programs.  The fee increase in the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan for the 2025 registration year, announced on Friday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, amounts to approximately $9 to $9,000 more per year that carriers will pay, depending on the size of their fleet (see table).

After a whirlwind few years during COVID-19, national data forecasts farm sector income will fall in 2024. The prediction follows record highs during 2022. Owners at one local farm told WCPO it’s still too soon to tell how 2024 will go, but they say some pandemic-related issues have resolved over the last year or so. “It seems like everything's going back to normal,” said Jack McGlasson, a part-owner of McGlasson Farms.  

Resilience — essentially risk management — is an increasingly critical consideration for road builders. Climate change is impacting roads in surprising ways, and contractors and engineers need to be prepared for extreme weather, sea level rise and hotter temperatures, said a panelist at the National Institute of Building Sciences’ Building Innovation Conference in Washington, D.C., on May 23.   The average cost per mile of a two-lane road is now about $10 million, said Amir Gola

The week of June 10, Farm Journal is celebrating the next generation of American agriculture. Our goal is to encourage you to plan for the future and cultivate multigenerational success through the transfer of skills and knowledge. Think tomorrow, act today to align your asset, resource and financial legacy.

Dive Brief: On-highway diesel prices reached a two-year low of under $3.66 per gallon, per U.S. Energy Information Administration data released Monday. The recent record continued a downward push that’s unfolded during the last three weeks. The series eclipsed an earlier low set on July 3, 2023, for the period. The current rates are well below a January forecast from the agency, with a Midwest region seeing the largest drop of 8 cents week over week.

Transportation attorney says abusive lease-purchase deals are chasing potential tank truckers out of the industry, suppressing rates, driving up premiums—and damaging safety efforts Larry Atkinson, a truck driver from Charleston, South Carolina, thought he was living the dream when he climbed into his new Kenworth T680 as a lease operator with Super Ego after previously driving company-owned trucks. “It was cool,” he recalled. “I felt like I was my own boss, I could turn down loads

As cargo theft grows rampant in the freight industry, strategic theft has also come up. Talking about the surge of cargo theft, Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at CargoNet, said, “[A big increase] is the fraud using deceptive means to steal a load – whether it’s stealing someone else’s identity to go on a load board, creating a trucking company and going on a load board, and buying another trucking company’s operating authority, name, email and domain, and eventually, taking

Seasonal market trends have continued to appear in the freight market as volume levels have remained healthier than they were this time last year. The Memorial Day holiday provided a boost to volumes to start June, but as in years prior, volume levels have started to decline. If volumes can flatten out in the coming weeks, it sets up the market for continued volume growth throughout the back half of the year. The Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI), which is a measure of national freig

A sinkhole opened up and completely swallowed the rear tanker trailer as a semi truck hauled doubles through a city in California on Monday.  The sinkhole opened up in Madera, California on June 10th near Pecan Avenue and Granada Drive just before 11 a.m.  According to ABC 30, the incident occurred near the location of a sewer line break that was identified last week. The truck driver sustained minor injuries as a result of the accident, and it took crews several hours to remove

If you're a carrier with multiple trucks, starting a brokerage division can unlock numerous opportunities for your trucking business. Many trucking companies are now adding brokerage services to diversify their operations and safeguard their business by not putting all their eggs in one basket. BulkLoads Permitting will assist you in obtaining your brokerage authority with ease. We offer comprehensive permitting services, including IFTAs, new carrier or brokerage authorities, and suppo