Transport Topics

The national average price for diesel fuel soared 7.1 cents to reach $3.477 a gallon, the Energy Information Administration reported. That’s the highest price the nation has seen for diesel since the week of December 8th, 2014, when it was $3.535 a gallon. The one-week spurt is the largest since a matching 7.1-cent increase from the first week of March to the second. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shareholders of Daimler AG agreed to realign the company by spinning off its truck and bus unit by the end of the year to form Daimler Truck Holding AG, which will be publicly traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Daimler AG will be renamed Mercedes-Benz Group AG effective Feb. 1. Daimler generates about $48.8 billion in revenue and sells more than half a million trucks and buses in a typical year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House and Senate passed a nine-week spending bill Thursday to avert a U.S. government shutdown just hours before it was set to begin. The House approved the extension with a 254-175 vote and the Senate passed it 65-35. The bill includes $28.6 billion set aside for states recovering from hurricanes and wildfires as well as $6.3 billion to resettle Afghan refugees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Navistar Inc. announced the launch of the diesel version of its redesigned International MV Series, calling it a reimagining of its medium-duty vehicles for increased maneuverability, visibility and safety. The company highlighted the new MV for utility, dry van and snow plow applications. The MV Series has two engine options, the Cummins Inc. B6.7 and L9, offering improved fuel efficiency as well as extended and aligned maintenance intervals, according to the Lisle, Ill.-based company, a unit of Germany-based Traton SE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A highway project vital to the flow of freight and commuters in Colorado will receive additional federal backing, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced recently. Kiewit Meridiam Partners was provided a direct TIFIA loan of up to $464.9 million to finalize the construction project. The firm is tasked with helping to realize myriad benefits associated with the corridor, such as reductions in travel time and enhanced safety conditions.The Central 70 Project aims to expand access along the corridor with the addition of three general-purpose lanes and a managed lane in each direction, USDOT explained. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the U.S. House of Representatives scheduled to consider key aspects of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure agenda this week, a group of Republican lawmakers continues to advocate for additional access to truck parking. Even though truck parking is currently not included in the $3.5 trillion budget bill, senior Republicans on the Transportation and Infrastructure panel are pressing for the adoption of provisions designed to boost parking funds for the country’s commercial drivers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Port of Houston says it successfully defended its infrastructure against an attempted hack back in August. ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus, a password management program, was the targeted software. News of the hack was initially disclosed at a Senate committee hearing on Thursday. According to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly, it is believed to have been an attempt by a “nation-state actor.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency concluded after its recent Run on Less — Electric event that fleets in four market segments could switch to battery-electric vehicles right now. During the 18-day event that involved 13 freight-hauling trucks, NACFE concluded that Class 3 through 5 vans and step vans, Class 6 box trucks and Class 8 terminal and regional-haul tractors all could feasibly run on electric. If the overall population turned to electric vehicles it would stop about 100 million tons of CO2 from reaching the atmosphere, according to NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The number of positive driver drug tests through August increased by nearly 13 percent compared to last year according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse report. Since the clearinghouse went into effect last January, the number of positive driver drug tests has reached 95,740. Marijuana accounts for more than 53 percent of positive drug tests and has been on the rise along with cocaine and methamphetamines. Positive drug tests account for 82% of all violations, with the other violations mostly being alcohol related. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Truck tonnage in August notched its first sequential monthly gain in five months, and dipped just slightly on a year-over-year basis, American Trucking Associations said. The ATA For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 0.5% in August compared with July. Compared with August 2020, the index saw a 0.5% decline. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello noted that while August’s monthly gain was small, it was the first gain since March. Costello said broader supply chain issues, like semiconductor shortages, as well as industry-specific difficulties, including the driver shortage and lack of equipment, explain why tonnage has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FedEx announced a plan to spend more than $100 million to improve its delivery van safety. Improving safety and installing cameras will reduce costs from accidents, which drag on short-term earnings at a time when the courier also is facing rising wage costs and other expenses. FedEx’s ground unit is offering to reimburse its contract drivers up to $1,500 per vehicle to install cameras and sensors that warn drivers of obstacles or other vehicles. The ground unit of FedEx operates about 72,000 vehicles. Approved suppliers include Brigade Electronics Group Plc and Continental AG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Used Class 8 truck sales dipped 24% in August compared with a year ago, and now sit 5% lower than July sales. Despite sales falling, the average price of used trucks soared. Prices last year in August were 47% lower than this year. According to ACT Vice President Steve Tam, in a normal year August used truck sales would have increased, but the current market is not typical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is undergoing a medical review of recently recalled CPAP machines commonly used by drivers that have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. According to the voluntary recall posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the machines put users at risk of chemical and debris exposure. The machine contains foam components that are included to reduce noise and vibration, but have been found to potentially break down, causing the machine’s users to swallow harmful particles. The recall is registered as Class 1, the most serious of recalls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Seven more individuals have been charged in an ongoing federal investigation of intentional collisions with trucks in New Orleans. In the charges, it is said the individuals conspired with each other and others to stage car accidents with tractor-trailers in an attempt to defraud the trucking and insurance companies. In total, 40 people have been charged in connection to these staged accidents. If convicted, each defendant could face a maximum of 5 to 20 years in prison. It is estimated that the 40 individuals orchestrated 100 accidents from 2015 to 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trailer orders for the month of August hit 15,100, marking the fourth-highest sale volume in 2021. According to FTR Vice President of Commercial Vehicles, Don Ake, fleets are desperate for new trailers and anticipate an even greater need moving into 2022. Trailer order totals for the month do not include Great Dane, one of the largest trailer manufacturers, because they have stopped taking orders for the remainder of the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Class 8 sales in August bumped up 2.8% to 18,176 compared with 17,685 in the same 2020 period, according to WardsAuto.com. All truck makers but two saw sales increase compared with a year earlier. Freightliner and Volvo Trucks North America saw sales drop, although Freightliner remained the leader in market share at 36.6%. Mack Trucks, a unit of Volvo, had the largest jump in sales at 46.4%. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UPS Inc. announced it had agreed to purchase Roadie, a same-day delivery service, for an undisclosed amount. Roadie will operate under its name as a separate company. Roadie’s operations are based on technology that allows the startup to match packages to gig drivers who download its application. The company has 200,000 verified operators who deliver to more than 20,000 ZIP codes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Canadian Pacific Railway has edged ahead of rival Canadian National in the back-and-forth battle to acquire Kansas City Southern, as a key vote from KCS shareholders and an earlier ruling from the Surface Transportation Board point toward resolution of a duel that has been brewing for the better part of six months. The KCS board of directors on Sept. 4 stated unanimously that it believes the latest CP offer could reasonably be expected to meet a standard it has set for acceptance of an offer. While the $33.6 billion bid CN made in April also met the standard, the STB on Aug. 31 voted against CN’s request to approve an independent voting trust to permit it to operate KCS while regulators reviewed the transaction. That rejection was viewed by observers as a signal that the STB ultimately would not approve the deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democratic congressional leaders vowed yesterday to forge ahead this month with President Joe Biden’s economic plan despite deep divisions within the party and growing uncertainty about the overall size and scope of the tax and spending proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t specifically commit to the $3.5 trillion price tag included in a fiscal blueprint that very narrowly cleared both chambers before an August recess. Her remarks leave the door open to a smaller package that would appease party moderates and infuriate progressives. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also said Congress would move forward on the legislation, and negotiate for the votes needed to clear it — regardless of the call by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin for a pause on the debate and for a plan that would be significantly smaller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Technology experts are urging trucking fleets to replace or upgrade tools that operate on 2G or 3G networks. Cell providers expect to phase out, or sunset, those networks within the next few years, rendering devices that rely on them obsolete. Federal agencies are encouraging action as well, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration establishing a list of electronic logging devices that won’t work when the network transitions happen. The experts recommend fleets look into devices that operate on the newer 4G and 5G networks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices