Category: trucking

Federal Regulators to Require Automatic Emergency Braking Equipment on Heavy Trucks, Buses

Two U.S. safety agencies announced a new rule on June 22 that would require heavy trucks and buses to include automatic emergency braking systems within the next five years. The proposed rule (pdf) by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) applies to new trucks and buses weighing…


‘Literally Impossible’: Trucking Companies Brace for California’s Electric Mandate

Logistics companies are scrambling to meet California’s upcoming 2024 mandate that all trucks servicing ports, railyards, and distribution centers in the state be zero-emission vehicles, with experts questioning limited access to charging stations and the viability of switching from diesel to electric fleets. Availability of electric semi-trucks is a concern, as is the price of…


No Positive Readings in ‘Trucking Conditions Index’ Forecasts Until 2024

A recent report shows no positive readings in the Trucking Conditions Index until 2024. The latest Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) report by Freight Transportation Research Associates, Inc. (FTR) showed a slight improvement in December to -6.1 from November’s -7.94 reading. However, the small gain was attributed solely to the “sharp drop in diesel prices during the…


Biden’s Economy Is Killing the Trucking Industry

Commentary During the pandemic, freight prices skyrocketed, as did consumer demand, attracting thousands of new companies into the trucking industry. Now, a general economic downturn is dampening consumer demand while the cost of operations is higher. This is forcing carriers out of business. Experts believe we are heading into a trucking market crash caused by…


Long-Haul Trucks May Be First Fully Autonomous Vehicles

The race to achieve fully autonomous driving is on with companies like Tesla, Cruise, Uber, Google’s Waymo, and others hoping to be first. However, long-haul trucking may be the one to win the race, and the reason is simple: the need is great, and the reward is significant. Indeed, the supply chain crisis will only…


Clogged California Ports Face New Labor Risk From Trucking

OAKLAND—Truck drivers choked traffic at the Oakland, California, seaport on Monday protesting a state law that makes it harder for independent contractors to transport goods and could limit labor at the state’s already clogged seaports, threatening to worsen the nation’s pandemic-fueled supply chain jams. California’s ports handle about 40percent of container goods that enter the…


Anxieties Rise in Trucking Market With Fears of ‘Great Purge’

Trucking industry insiders and analysts have warned of elevated risk of trouble for the industry in coming months, as low trucking spot rates and diminishing demand for goods lurk on the horizon, boding ill for trucking companies and their employees. While much of the economy reels from a shortage of labor, the trucking industry is…


Fossil Fuel Fee for Trucks Begins at Los Angeles Ports

To meet its zero-emissions goals, Los Angeles and Long Beach ports will start charging fossil fuel trucks an extra fee April 1 to pick up or drop off shipping containers. Most trucks at the port will be charged an extra $10 per 20-foot container—the standard measurement for a container—each time they enter or leave the…


Current State of the Trucking Industry in America

Commentary  Every product in America travels on some type of truck. Trucking moves roughly 70 percent of all freight in the United States and nearly 80 percent of American consumers depend on trucking for the delivery of everyday items and commodities, and specialty items like medicines, fuels, and raw materials. Industries like construction, healthcare, and…


Vaccine Requirement at Canada-US Border Burdens Trucking Industry

The Canadian and U.S. governments are imposing new COVID-19 vaccination requirements on truckers, a decision analysts say can only drive up costs, slow border traffic, and hinder supply chains. Barry Prentice, a professor of supply chain management at the University of Manitoba, believes the government has not assessed the risks and benefits properly. “I really…