After a half-a-billion-dollar loss quarter for Ford, the company is questioning whether transitioning to electric vehicles was the right move, and whether drastic measures such as offshoring will need to be taken in regard to truck jobs in the future. Ford CEO Jim Farley recently made “what some might consider threatening comments about the future of his company’s U.S.-based, United Auto Workers-represented manufacturing workforce.” Read more…
The latest report fromDat Freight and Analytics, which controls the DAT One online freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service, states “January spot freight volumes were pushed to all-time highs due to a winter-related bump in demand for truckload capacity.” Ken Adamo, DAT chief of analytics, goes on say: “winter weather increased the need for trucks at a time when shippers were moving holiday returns and springtime retail goods through supply chains, and for-hire carriers were rejecting a higher percentage of contracted loads.” Read more…
The day-to-day operation of trades workers was on full display for those interested in potentially entering that workforce by Truckucation, as the organization hosted its monthly “Trucking and Trades” event to help promote jobs in the trucking industry and various other trades. These kinds of events have become a must with the trucking industry’s recent decline in the number of truck drivers entering the field. Read more…
Forward Air completed its acquisition of Omni Logistics recently after the expedited surface transportation provider and global freight forwarder reached a newly agreed upon merger agreement. Plans for the merger were announced last August, but were put on a hold by a series of fights between activist investors, shareholders and the companies themselves. The deal will now allow the two companies to integrate their international and North American operations, adding more high-value freight into Forward’s less-than-truckload (LTL) network. Read more…
Pauline Jochim was recently recognized by Truckstop.com for achieving her first million miles as a professional truck driver. According to Pauline, her love of driving stemmed from her family’s passion for racing: “When I was a kid, I grew up in race shops, and we did a lot of dirt track racing… I remember, some of the places we’d go, we always saw those semis.” Read more…
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has sent out a new survey to help shine light on what both women and men truck drivers believe to be the obstacles to entry for female truck drivers. ATRI said the survey will also help learn about other challenges that truck drivers encounter while training, on the road, and at parking facilities. The research will take those responses from both men and women drivers to identify and contrast the special challenges faced by female drivers. Read more
Universal Logistics is expanding in the greater Roanoke area with a new industrial building located on Lee Highway in Botetourt County, creating 45 new jobs. Universal’s CEO Tim Phillip states: “our expansion in the Roanoke region represents an exciting phase for Universal’s heavy truck division as we fortify our commitment to delivering top-tier services within the logistics and transportation sectors… our investment not only signifies our dedication to growth, but also underscores our pledge to contribute meaningfully to the local economy while creating employment opportunities for the community.”Read more…
Thomas Sholar, 69, who started in construction in the Houston area, began his truck driver journey all the way back in 1992, and continues to enjoy the ride to this day: “I guess I won’t retire until it stops being fun,” he says, after more than three decades behind the wheel of his big rig. Sholas has been recognized for his accomplishments both on and off the road with the TCA’s 2023 Driver of the Year away, one of five truck drivers to receive the award.Read more…
After several months of volatility in truck transportation employment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported November jobs numbers that showed some changes: “the seasonally adjusted truck transportation jobs total for last month was 1,581,300, an increase of 700 jobs. But it comes after a four-month stretch in which July jobs dropped 6,900; August jobs fell 30,700 (fueled by the closure of Yellow Corp.); September jobs climbed 14,000 positions as some of the Yellow loss reversed itself at other carriers; and October recorded a drop of 3,600 jobs.” Read more…
President Joe Biden recently convened the first meeting of his newly launched Supply Chain Resilience Council after years of the industry speaking about the matter. The goal of the new council is to “strengthen America’s supply chains” and “lower costs for families.” There are 30 actions the council has in mind to “improve access to medicine and needed economic data and other programs tied to the production and shipment of goods.” Read more…
