JONES LOGISTICS ACQUIRES NATIONWIDE EXPRESS

Jones Logistics, a national specialized transportation and logistics company, has acquired the company Nationwide Express. Based in Tennessee, “Nationwide provides dedicated trucking services, warehouse, 3PL logistic services, recycling transportation, and waste management solutions. Its geographic footprint includes operations in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.” Read more…

TRUCKERS WEIGH IN ON COMFORT & SAFETY

Many issues were addressed in a recent survey of truck drivers, amongst them being comfort, safety and autonomous trucks. Being glued to their driver’s seat for most of their waking hours on the road, “having that seat be as comfortable as possible is a big deal.”  Truckers have also been found to “appreciate the safety of having a forward-facing camera but don’t appreciate one aimed at them.” In terms of self-driving vehicles, most drivers “don’t believe autonomous trucks will be the saviors of the industry some people see them as.” Read more…

LOGISTICS LAYOFFS SPARK INDUSTRY WIDE CULLING

David Clark, Amazon’s former warehouse czar, is set to lay off 20% of the workforce of his logistics startup Flexport. The company’s co-CEO’s said in a note to employees that while “Flexport is in a good financial position… reductions in shipping volume from its customers and a more efficient operating structure leaves it ‘overstaffed in a variety of roles across the company.’”  Read more…

CARRIERS RESPONSIVE TO TRUCKERS’ NEEDS ACCORDING TO SURVEY

In a survey of nearly 1,000 drivers, driver mobility provider Trucker Path asked: “How frequently would you like to return home from the road?” According to the results, “63% of the drivers who preferred to return home every night were allowed to do so” and “about 89% of drivers who wanted to return home several times a month had their request granted.” These results paint a rosy picture of job carriers, as they seem to be responding to their drivers’ preferences. Read more…

NEW LEGISLATION A BOON FOR THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY

As part of new bipartisan legislation aiming to retain and recruit drivers, truck drivers would be eligible for up to $10,000 in tax credits, along with many other incentives such as truck parking funding and an hours-of-service exemption for livestock haulers. Lawmakers in Washington called the bill a “sweeping overhaul of the interstate trucking supply system.”  Read more…

LOGISTICS STARTUP LAYING OFF 20% OF WORKFORCE

David Clark, Amazon’s former warehouse czar, is set to lay off 20% of the workforce of his logistics startup Flexport. The company’s co-CEO’s said in a note to employees that while “Flexport is in a good financial position… reductions in shipping volume from its customers and a more efficient operating structure leaves it ‘overstaffed in a variety of roles across the company.’”  Read more…

TRUCKING CARRIERS USING APPRENTICESHIPS TO FIND DIVERSE CANDIDATES

Trucking carriers are using apprenticeships as an opportunity to “bring diverse candidates, including veterans, into a driving career.”  While many industries have used apprenticeships to train and recruit workers for years, carriers such as Fastport will be keeping and paying participants for more than the standard one to two months, while also including a “dedicated mentor.”   Read more…

MODEST GAINS IN 2022 FOR TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY

According to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Department of Labor, the trucking industry gained around 2,100 workers in the past year. The truck transportation sector’s final year-end report showed that “there were 1,601,500 workers in the industry, up from 1,599,400 in November and 1,598,00 in October.” The DOL report goes on to say that “in 2022, average job growth in transportation and warehousing – plus 17,000 jobs – was about half the average job growth in 2021 at plus 36,000 jobs.” Read more… 

NEW LOGISTICS WAREHOUSE COMING TO INDIANA

A new 160,000-square-foot logistics facility is set to open next month in Whitestown, Indiana, as Nevada-based Novo Logistics is set to expand its presence in the Midwest with its newest location. Jobs will be created as the company’s services include: “warehousing, multi-client warehousing, on-site logistics, contingent labor solutions, and delivery transportation for local, regional and national clients.” Read more…

TRANSPORTATION HIRING STRUGGLES COULD CONTINUE INTO 2023

The Utah Transit Authority continues to look for bus drivers, as a tight labor market makes filling these positions a struggle. The shortage has even forced the UTA to cut back, and even eliminate, some bus routes earlier in December.  While companies like UPS, FedEx and Amazon continue to hire, “truck driving companies are having a shortage all the way around. Schools are having trouble finding school bus drivers.” Read more…