Moody’s Raises Ryder’s Debt Level that Had Been in Place Since COVID
Moody’s upgraded Ryder System’s senior unsecured debt rating to Baa1 from Baa2, restoring the pre‑pandemic level first set in 2020. The agency cited the company’s successful shift toward logistics and dedicated transport, which now represent about 60% of revenue, reducing reliance on short‑term rentals. The upgrade coincides with the appointment of new CEO John J. Diez, promising lower borrowing costs and a stable outlook. Moody’s also highlighted robust free‑cash‑flow expectations of $700‑$800 million for 2024 and a healthy mid‑2X debt‑to‑EBITDA ratio.
UPS to Cap Driver Buyouts at 7,500 After Teamster Pushback
UPS and the Teamsters reached a settlement that caps the voluntary driver buyout program at 7,500 long‑haul feeder and package‑car drivers, with selections made strictly by seniority. Each approved buyout carries a $150,000 severance payment. The agreement comes as UPS...
The Two Materials That Predict Freight Demand Both Just Posted Gains. Here Is What February’s Data Is Telling Us.
The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics pallet Producer Price Index has halted its decline and, together with an 84% operating rate in the American Forest & Paper Association’s February packaging paper report, signals a coordinated uptick in freight demand. Both...
Truck Transportation Jobs Running at an 8-Year Low: BLS
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that truck‑transportation employment fell to 1,464,100 jobs in March, the lowest level since December 2017. The three‑month series—January 1,465,600, February 1,464,900, March 1,464,100—shows a steady decline, erasing pandemic‑era gains. This figure is down 27,300 jobs...
Strait of Hormuz Closure Pushes Asia-US Ocean Rates up 29%
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a sharp rise in ocean freight rates on major east‑west lanes. Spot rates from the Far East to the U.S. West Coast jumped 29% since the end of February, while routes...
21 Air Eyes Larger Boeing 777s to Access Long-Haul Cargo Market
21 Air, the mid‑size cargo carrier that serves DHL Express and Amazon, is preparing to add Boeing 777 freighters to its fleet to tap the long‑haul international market. Owner Jim Crane has installed former Crane Worldwide Logistics chief Keith Winters...
Mercedes-Benz Sets $4B Investment in Plant Served by Norfolk Southern
Mercedes-Benz announced a $4 billion investment to expand its Vance, Alabama plant by 2030, marking the site’s 5 million‑vehicle production milestone since 1997. The facility assembles a mix of GLE, GLS, AMG, Maybach, and all‑electric EQ models, with 60% of output destined...
Indiana’s New CDL Rule Pushes Ahead on English Proficiency
Indiana enacted House Bill 1200, requiring all commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants to demonstrate English proficiency and restricting license ownership to drivers with established domicile. Effective April 1, the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles began revoking licenses of roughly 2,000...
CEVA Snaps up Record-Setting Heavy-Haul Firm Fagioli
CEVA Logistics has completed the acquisition of Italy‑based Fagioli Group, a specialist in heavy‑lift and project logistics. The deal brings roughly 450 Fagioli employees into CEVA’s global network and adds a Houston hub that serves as a heavy‑lift engineering center....
How Carriers Can Prepare for CVSA’s International Roadcheck 2026
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck will run May 12-14, targeting ELD tampering and cargo securement, with inspectors conducting Level I checks on thousands of trucks across North America. Inspectors will review up to eight days of driver logs...
US Tariff Fight Shifts to Heavy Machinery Imported From Mexico
Two bipartisan U.S. senators have asked the Commerce Department to launch a Section 232 national‑security investigation into heavy‑equipment imports from Mexico, arguing that offshoring erodes American manufacturing jobs. They cite recent plant closures and layoffs at Deere, Caterpillar and CNH...
ATA Sought Compensation in Rhode Island Trucking Tolls Case; It Got Nothing
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) asked a federal court for more than $21 million in legal fees after its challenge to Rhode Island’s truck‑only toll program, RhodeWorks, but received nothing. Rhode Island was awarded roughly $185,000 in costs, while its request...
The Broker Offers You Quick Pay and It Sounds Like Free Money. Read This Before You Take It.
Freight brokers offer quick‑pay programs that accelerate payment within 24‑72 hours for a fee of roughly 1.5%‑5% of the load value. In contrast, freight factoring sells unpaid invoices to a third‑party for a fee typically between 1%‑5%, often lower for...
Autonomous Railcar Builder Signs Short Line Operator
Intramotev, a developer of autonomous freight railcars, announced a new partnership with short‑line operator R.J. Corman Railroad Company. The company’s TugVolt railcars will be deployed on Corman’s 113‑mile Memphis Line, serving 30 customers across Kentucky and Tennessee. R.J. Corman, which...
Stellantis Sues Supplier in Mexico, Halting Jeep Production
Stellantis has filed a lawsuit in Michigan against parts supplier ZF Chassis Modules over a disputed $70 million price increase for suspension modules. The dispute forced a shutdown of the Toluca, Mexico plant that builds Jeep Compass and Cherokee models, halting...
Stolen Freight Does Not Disappear Anymore
Nestlé disclosed that over 12 tons of KitKat bars were stolen while in transit from Italy to Poland. The company explained that each bar carries a unique batch code that can be scanned and reported if the product reappears in the...
Borderlands Mexico: USMCA Review to Reshape North American Supply Chains
Former U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that the six‑year USMCA review will be a pivotal moment for North American trade, aiming to embed supply‑chain resilience, AI, climate and digital trade provisions. The review also focuses on automotive rules of...
Why Passing Every Check No Longer Means Safe
The article shows that a cargo theft can succeed even when a carrier clears every standard verification—insurance, VIN, tracking—because the actual person handling the freight may be fraudulent. In a recent case, a load moved normally for three days before...
Small Businesses Say Tariffs Still Hurting a Year After ‘Liberation Day’
One year after President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs took effect, small‑business owners report ongoing pain from $140 billion in duties ruled illegal by the Supreme Court. Refunds for those tariffs remain unpaid, while the administration has substituted new duties under sections...
New Bill Aims to Roll Back Diesel Truck Emissions Mandates
Rep. Mike Collins introduced the Diesel Truck Liberation Act, a bill that would strip the EPA of authority to enforce emissions controls on heavy‑duty diesel trucks. The legislation would prohibit federal agencies from requiring emissions devices, onboard diagnostics, and penalties...
AXN Expands Kentucky Axle Plant Targeting Heavy-Duty Truck OEMs
AXN Automotive Systems has finished a $15 million expansion of its Louisville, Kentucky plant, boosting capacity to roughly 100,000 axles per year and adding a new suspension line for heavy‑duty truck OEMs. The workforce will increase from about 55 to near...
UPS Retracts Driver Buyout Option in 13 States Under Union Pressure
UPS announced it will withdraw its $150,000 voluntary separation buyout program for parcel and linehaul drivers in 13 central states after intense pressure from Teamsters locals. The decision follows grievances filed by 37 local unions in the Central Region, which...
SONAR and Prodensus Partner to Help Freight Brokers Win More Business, Before the Competition Even Responds
Prodensus and SONAR have announced a strategic integration that embeds SONAR’s real‑time spot rates, contract rates and lane scores directly into Prodensus’s AI‑driven freight RFP platform. The combined solution cuts the typical RFP response window from hours to under five...
New Data Puts a Number on the Insurance-Safety Gap in Trucking
A new FMCSA‑based study of 314,078 interstate for‑hire carriers links insurance underwriting type to safety outcomes. Non‑underwritten carriers consistently post higher composite risk scores and dirty‑inspection rates than peers in underwritten programs, with gaps widening for mid‑size fleets. Risk Retention...
Samsara Introduces 2026 North America Customer Advisory Board
Samsara Inc. announced the formation of its 2026 North America Customer Advisory Board, bringing together executives from roughly 50 companies in transportation, logistics, energy and food distribution. The board will guide the next generation of AI‑driven safety and operational tools...
FMC’s DiBella: Ports Are Key to U.S. Economic Security and Stability
Federal Maritime Commission Chair Laura DiBella told a ports conference that the United States faces a "critical moment" for revitalizing its shipping industry. She highlighted that more than 95% of U.S. imports and over 80% of global trade move by...
Two Things You Can Control Right Now When Fuel Is Trying to Break You
Diesel prices are edging toward $5 a gallon, squeezing margins for owner‑operators and carriers. While macro forces such as Middle‑East tensions and Fed policy are beyond a driver’s control, two levers remain: where fuel is purchased and how much is...