Truckload Freight

Management from the nation’s largest flatbed operator, Daseke, says the demand backlog extends for “the foreseeable future.”

Heartland Express announced 2021 was its best year since going public. Fourth-quarter results were in line with consensus.

P.A.M. Transportation Services finished 2021 on a high note, posting another large earnings beat during the fourth quarter.

KLLM Transport Services is the latest carrier to announce a historic pay increase for drivers.

December data from Cass Information Systems shows freight shipments and expenditures continued a surge to close 2021.

Lawrence Freight said its latest pay hike for company drivers will move annual wages to roughly $90,000 in 2022.

December supply chain numbers again show “significant expansion.” The Logistics Managers’ Index report questions whether retailers ordered too much for the holidays.

Schneider became the latest truckload carrier to bolt on a fleet. The company announced Tuesday the $263 million acquisition of dedicated carrier Midwest Logistics Systems.

Charges against its chairman did not implicate the truckload carrier itself.

Several asset-based carriers changed their course through M&A in 2021.

RLS Logistics continues to roll up the cold storage market, adding one family operator at a time.

J.B. Hunt Transport announced that eligible drivers and maintenance techs received nearly $10 million in appreciation bonuses on Friday.

AskWaves looks at some of the catalysts that have heated up M&A in the transportation space.

It has been a wild ride for GlobalTranz, with ownership shifting multiple times in just a few years.

Freight costs reach a record, according to November data from Cass Information Systems.

Cameron Ramsdell had only been with the company since the spring of 2020 after being brought in from Coyote.

At issue was a test given to job applicants, with the higher rate of female failure viewed as a “disparate impact.”

Truck broker Landstar System announced Wednesday it will use 2021’s record performance to pay shareholders a $2-per-share special dividend.

Growth throughout the supply chain accelerated in November with costs reaching all-time highs, according to the Logistics Managers’ Index.

Knight-Swift adds to its less-than-truckload offering with the acquisition of Midwest Motor Express. Investors continue to see the value in owning LTL assets.

Difficulties finding trailers is starting to rival the effects of the driver shortage at the nation’s largest fleets.

During a Stephens conference presentation before investors, CEO Fuller also discussed the unique driver retention tool at Variant called the “squad.”

In an unusual move, the Washington trade group is turning to somebody from outside the Capitol lobbying ecosystem.

Ashley Furniture has acquired Wilson Logistics, which provides asset-based third-party logistics services with a fleet of more than 1,200 trucks.

Werner Enterprises triples the size of its final-mile offering with the addition of Northeast-based Nehds Logistics.

Third-party logistics provider Transport Investments Inc. has acquired a majority stake in specialty freight brokerages US Logistics and Nationwide Logistics.

PAM has long been known as a company that depends heavily on the auto industry. But that sector is making up less of its business these days.

Truckload carrier U.S. Xpress expects a hot freight market to carry through the end of the year but cautions consumer headwinds are mounting.

October data from Cass shows supply chain bottlenecks and capacity shortages continue to subdue shipment growth. However, the condition led to another jump in rates.

The purveyor of wild-caught seafood avoids the use of airfreight, and relies on barge, truckload and parcel to hit its tight delivery commitments.

The likely end date of a chaotic transportation market is being extended.

Truckload carriers booked record gains on the sale of revenue equipment during the third quarter but the profits shouldn’t be viewed as artificial earnings.

A rule requiring vaccines for employees, or weekly testing for workers declining vaccination, at companies with staff of 100 or more gets emergency stay.

AskWaves takes a look at which rate-per-mile metrics to use out of the information public carriers disclose quarterly.

Cowen’s survey, released to the public for the first time, shows a mixed reaction on the question of whether a vaccine mandate will affect carrier business operations.

ArcBest announced Monday that it has closed on the previously announced acquisition of Chicago-based truckload brokerage MoLo Solutions.

Notable cost headwinds around driver sourcing and equipment downtime weighed heavily on Werner Enterprises’ third-quarter results. But the carrier still raised long-term margin expectations.

Forward Air took an aggressive step Thursday, issuing sizable earnings growth guidance through 2023. Upgrading the freight mix has management confident in the extended outlook.

Management from Schneider National told analysts on its third-quarter earnings call that current truckload fundamentals should carry through the end of 2021 and well into next year.

Freight broker Echo Global Logistics reports better-than-expected third-quarter results in what is likely its last public quarterly report.

Specialized and flatbed carrier Daseke posted better-than-expected third-quarter results Friday. Management said the company is working on a couple of acquisitions.

Sequentially, tractor growth is positive for the first time in more than a year, a sign the company cites as evidence the Variant initiative is succeeding.

Landstar reports record third-quarter results and calls for a similar performance in the fourth and potentially beyond.

A look at how Knight-Swift Transportation blew past third-quarter expectations and raised its full-year guidance.

With other truckload carriers coming in at a sub-80% OR, Marten’s ratio for truckload improved just 40 bps.

Carriers have overcome notable cost inflation and disruption to post better-than-expected results so far in the third-quarter earnings season.

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services jumped 10% Friday as the company navigated supply chain challenges during the third quarter to beat analysts’ forecasts.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services sidesteps disruption throughout the transportation network to beat analysts’ forecasts.

P.A.M. Transportation Services sees earnings surge during the third quarter even as supply chain disruption accelerates.

Heartland Express beats expectations in the third quarter with the help from gains on sale.

Supply chain constraints are keeping a lid on freight volumes while rates continue to reach new highs, according to September data from Cass Information Systems.

The former Keurig Dr. Pepper executive reports to Joe Metzger, chief supply chain officer.

Tri-State Expedited announced it has been acquired by its senior management team.

Boyle Transportation has been acquired for $80 million by a Canadian health care supply chain management company.

An analyst surmises that Amazon was the other part of the love triangle.

The logistics arm of Cheema Freightlines announced it has acquired 3PL provider Walker Logistics.

Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker believes rate expectations of truckload management teams haven’t been reflected in 2022 earnings estimates yet.

The TCA’s public-facing stance on the vaccination mandate might not have taken place a few years ago.

There has never been more attention paid to freight transportation than what we are experiencing now. And like the Wall Street Bets crowd on Reddit, our industry loves talking about […]

Driver pay increases continue to roll in as a strong macroeconomic environment shows little signs of slowing.

Lease-purchase deals haven’t always had a great reputation, and this TCA session focused on how to make them work.

Small carriers are opting to bring only a power unit to a brokered transaction.

Iron Truck Services aims to give smaller fleets affordable access to services such as insurance, equipment maintenance, fuel purchasing, truck sales and rentals.

More trucking heads weigh in on rate expectations for 2022. Following a sizable rate bump this year, it appears that rates could move considerably higher again next year.

August data from Cass shows freight expenditures extend their torrid pace. Freight demand remains high but a lack of capacity is constraining shipment growth.

Private equity takeout allows Echo Global Logistics’ equity value to rise to that of its peers. Management believes its new affiliation with deeper pockets opens up bigger M&A opportunities.

The supply chain continues to be stretched as the peak shipping season bears down. Capacity declines further while rates soar, according to an August survey.

Truck parking reservation platform TruckPark is making its services available through Roady’s Truck Stops.

The carpeting and flooring giant plans to manufacture more domestically iin the wake of the pandemic.

Rate predictions for the truckload market are coming in earlier than in past years. High consumer demand along with a lack of drivers and equipment has industry participants calling for further increases.

Dedicated carrier Cowan Systems is offering sign-on bonuses as high as $20,000 for newly hired drivers.

TPP Retention Project Plan’s Ray Haight explains how the industry has missed an opportunity when it comes to driver retention.

Truckload carrier Heartland Express announced a 50-cent-per-share special dividend Friday. It was the second carrier to announce a special dividend this week.

Marten Transport announced a special dividend of 50 cents per share. The payment marks the third straight year of special dividends for the carrier.

Truck broker Landstar System points to better-than-expected truck volumes and yield trends in the third quarter as reasons to raise its outlook.

AskWaves takes a look at gains on the sale of revenue equipment and how they play into the financial results of truckload carriers.

As wireless providers switch off 3G networks in favor of 5G, some ELDs may no longer work.

The hunger crisis in America has not disappeared, and Move for Hunger, a nonprofit that connects trucking capacity to groups with food to donate, is on the hunt for more partners to assist, including refrigerated fleets willing to help.

July data from Cass showed freight shipments remained elevated but labor and equipment shortages constrained growth. Expenditures held near all-time records.

The organization will provide an update on its search at its annual meeting in Las Vegas next month.

As freight markets enter the second year of peaklike conditions, FreightWaves caught up with Amit Mehrotra, Deutsche Bank’s transportation analyst, to talk about how this freight cycle will play out.

The need for truck capacity remains at historic highs, and more fleets have responded by increasing driver pay for the second time this year.

A third-quarter outlook from truckload carrier U.S. Xpress sees volume and rate strength lasting throughout 2021. However, driver and supply chain labor challenges present risks.

The midsize truckload carrier needs to boost hiring by more than 10% but won’t compromise standards to do it.

A 3-judge panel was ready to rule on the carrier’s appeal, but a larger group of judges will now render an opinion.

Forward Air posts a quarterly record for operating income and revenue in the second quarter.

The company posts solid numbers for its transport and logistics units as the logistics business prepares for trading on Monday as a spun-off entity.

Truckload carriers’ “spillover” freight ties up LTL capacity during unprecedented times, Old Dominion executives said.

Americans were expected to divert disposable income away from goods as the economy reopened to travel, lodging and entertainment. It isn’t happening, most observers say, and the supply chain implications are profound.

Interstate Personnel Services announced the acquisition of Missouri-based dry van truckload carrier Transport Distribution Co.

USX’s CEO Fuller says Variant division is near the ‘inflection point’ for the new initiative having a bigger impact on profitability.

Covenant Logistics Group beat second-quarter earnings expectations and said the second half of the year is likely to produce stronger results.

Covenant Logistics Group reported a better-than-expected second quarter as freight demand remains elevated and capacity is in short supply. The company said the favorable conditions have carried into the third quarter.

Knight-Swift Transportation beat second-quarter estimates and raised its full-year guidance to include the favorable operating environment in addition to accretion from recent acquisitions. However, the improved outlook includes the expectation for continued cost headwinds around labor.

Midwest Carriers announced the acquisition of alcohol transporter Osborn & Son Trucking for an undisclosed amount.

Heartland Express records its best consolidated operating ratio since its last acquisition was fully integrated.

Knight-Swift’s acquisition highlights the LTL industry’s sweet spot in the e-commerce supply chain, says a noted consultant.

Also on the podcast: A key agency reviews the outlook for the tight oil market.

Truckload’s operating ratio was better but OR deteriorated for dedicated.

P.A.M. Transportation benefited from a tight truckload market in the second quarter to post record revenue and operating income.