DSV is about to become the world’s biggest logistics firm after agreeing to buy Schenker, the logistics arm of German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn, for 14.3 billion euros ($15.85 billion). DSV, a logistics firm that had humble roots as a small enterprise of 10 truckers in 1976, has grown exponentially through “a string of successful acquisitions – some larger than the company itself – in a crowded logistics market.”
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Overcapacity continues to have a negative effect on rates and trucking jobs as more drivers are being forced out of the industry before they can be saved by any future upcycle. According to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “more than 1,000 trucking jobs were eliminated from the economy in August. This marks the fifth consecutive monthly loss, which was preceded by a five-month growth streak.”Read more…
As self-driving truck developers get ever closer to utilizing fully driverless on-highway tractors, they are also creating a set of new, unique job functions that will be imperative to support self-driving fleets in real-world freight operations. Even without a driver, autonomous trucks “will still depend on trained professionals to prepare, inspect, dispatch, monitor and maintain the vehicles as they haul loads between designated freight hubs on specific stretches of highway.” Read more
