Why a Single Bypass Method Isn’t Enough
PrePass® promotes a dual‑method weigh‑station bypass that combines mobile‑app screening with transponder technology. The mobile app expands coverage quickly, while transponders guarantee reliable skips at high‑traffic, staffed sites. Together they enable fleets to capture the full benchmark‑based savings of roughly 7 minutes, half a gallon of fuel and $10.65 per bypass. For a 200‑truck fleet averaging seven bypasses per week, the dual approach can generate about $775,000 in annual operational cost reductions.
CATL Appeals Pentagon Listing as US-China Tensions Persist
China's top EV battery maker CATL is lobbying to be removed from the Pentagon’s 1260H list, which tags firms linked to the Chinese military. Co‑chairman Pan Jian has made multiple trips to Washington, presenting evidence that its batteries are not...
N.Y. Judge Backs Insurer in Staged-Crash Scheme
A New York Supreme Court judge granted summary judgment to Integon National Insurance, finding that eight collisions between March and July 2023 were deliberately staged by an Ecuadorian fraud ring. The court determined the crashes did not qualify as legitimate...
Bessent Optimistic Gas Prices Fall Back to $3 This Summer
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a White House briefing on April 15 that he is optimistic gasoline can fall back to $3 per gallon during the June‑September summer driving window. He linked the price outlook to progress in negotiations to...
Larsen Pushes Bipartisan Path for Upcoming Highway Bill
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ranking member Rep. Rick Larsen (D‑WA) is urging a bipartisan surface‑transportation reauthorization before the September expiration of the current highway authorization. He emphasizes safety, multimodal connectivity and a balanced split between highway and transit funding,...
Caterpillar Buys Autonomous Electric Tractor Firm Monarch
Caterpillar Inc. announced the acquisition of Monarch Tractor, a startup that developed autonomous electric tractors for agriculture. The deal comes after Monarch laid off staff and pivoted from building its own tractor platform to licensing its self‑driving technology. Monarch had...
7-Eleven Expects to Close 645 Locations This Year
7‑Eleven’s North American operator plans to shutter 645 stores in fiscal 2026, far exceeding the 205 new openings it expects. The closures will largely involve converting underperforming sites into wholesale fuel outlets, a segment that already exceeds 900 locations. Seven...
Copper Rises to 6-Week High as Iran Talks Raise Hopes
Copper surged 1.8% to $13,284.50 a ton on the London Metal Exchange, reaching its highest level in six weeks. The rally follows renewed optimism that the United States and Iran will resume peace talks and that Tehran may pause shipments...
Trucker Path, Truckstop Expand Freight Access Via Partnership
Trucker Path announced a partnership with freight‑tech platform Truckstop to embed Truckstop's load feed into its TruckLoads mobile app. The integration gives owner‑operators and small fleets direct access to Truckstop’s broader inventory of freight opportunities. Trucker Path says the move...
Aluminum Hits 4-Year High on Trump’s Blockade of Hormuz
Aluminum prices surged to a four‑year peak on the London Metal Exchange, reaching $3,570 a ton after President Donald Trump announced a blockade of Iranian ports. The spot‑cash spread widened to $95.50 a ton, the strongest backwardation since 2007, reflecting...
Fuel Station Operator Yesway Seeks $321 Million in US IPO
Yesway Inc., a Fort Worth‑based convenience store and fuel station chain, filed to raise up to $321 million by selling roughly 14 million shares at $20‑$23 each. At the top of the range the offering would value the company at about $1.4 billion....
How Fleets Make Safety Stick Beyond Annual Training
Carriers are moving beyond once‑a‑year safety classes to embed continuous, injury‑focused training, ergonomic coaching, and real‑time communication into daily operations. Rising workers‑comp costs—now comparable to vehicle‑crash expenses—make injury prevention a direct profitability driver. Companies like Pitt Ohio have slashed strain...
Driver Health Must Match Equipment Care, CarriersEdge Says
CarriersEdge President Mark Murrell warns that many fleets prioritize trucks over driver health, leading to higher injury rates. Traditional classroom safety training disengages drivers due to inconvenient timing and generic content. The company offers interactive online modules that let drivers...
Workers at JBS Meatpacking Plant in Colorado Win Wage Hike
Workers at JBS USA’s Swift Beef plant in Greeley, Colorado ended a three‑week strike after reaching a tentative agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7. The deal includes wage increases over the next two years, a $750 one‑time...
Perspective: How True AI Changes the Cost of TMS Training
The trucking and logistics sector has long wrestled with costly, weeks‑long training for transportation management systems (TMS). While many vendors tout "AI," most solutions are merely automated workflows that still demand extensive user instruction. True generative AI, exemplified by large...
AI Chip Export Drive Stalls Inside Commerce Department
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is struggling to keep pace with President Trump’s push to expand U.S. AI‑chip exports. Turnover has hit roughly 20% of rulemaking and licensing staff, and tighter, hands‑on license reviews have stretched...
DTNA Q1 Sales Decline 24.5% Year Over Year
Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) reported a 24.5% year‑over‑year drop in Q1 2026 sales, moving 29,432 trucks and buses versus 38,992 a year earlier. North American volumes also slipped 13.5% sequentially from Q4 2025, dragging the global Daimler Truck total...
Federal Court Hears New Case Against Trump's Latest Tariffs
The U.S. Court of International Trade is hearing arguments on April 10 to overturn President Trump’s temporary Section 122 tariffs, which impose a 10% duty on most imports and are set to expire on July 24. The tariffs were introduced after the Supreme...
Oil to Test Wartime Highs If Hormuz Standstill Drags
Oil could revisit wartime price peaks if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked until July, JPMorgan Chase notes. The market expects half of normal oil flows to resume by May and full capacity by June, but a slower return to...
US Oil Exports to Hit 5M Barrels a Day Amid Global Crunch
U.S. Gulf Coast crude exports are set to reach a record 5 million barrels per day in May, up sharply from roughly 3.97 million in March. Asian refiners are snapping up the cargoes to replace Middle Eastern supply disruptions, prompting a surge...
USPS Proposes 4-Cent Stamp Increase to 82 Cents
The United States Postal Service announced a proposal to raise the price of a first‑class stamp by four cents, from 78 to 82 cents, pending approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission. The 4.8% increase would be the eighth stamp hike since...
Ex-First Brands Officer Says He Was Unaware of Alleged Fraud
Former First Brands chief strategy officer Michael Baker filed a motion to dismiss a civil lawsuit that implicates him in the auto‑parts supplier’s collapse. Baker alleges founder Patrick James and his brother concealed fraudulent accounting and used his Wall Street...
Third-Generation Leader Guides Volvo Truck, Plant Evolution
Volvo Trucks North America poured $400 million into a comprehensive overhaul of its New River Valley plant in Dublin, Va., ahead of the launch of the latest VNL long‑haul and VNR regional‑haul models. Serial production of the revamped VNR began in...
FedEx, Pilots Set Tentative Contract After 5 Years of Talks
FedEx Corp. and the Air Line Pilots Association have reached a tentative labor agreement after nearly five years of negotiations. The deal provides an immediate 40% hourly wage increase for pilots, followed by 3% annual raises beginning in 2028, and...
Former Negotiator Says Time Favors Canada in USMCA Talks
Former Canadian chief negotiator Steve Verheul told a Bank of Montreal panel that mounting economic pressure on the United States gives Canada a strategic advantage in the upcoming USMCA review. He cited the war in Iran’s disruption of energy, aluminum...
Transport Fuel Costs Could Test M&A, Investment Bank Says
William Blair’s investment‑banking head says transportation, logistics and industrial firms have been able to pass higher fuel and input costs to customers, keeping M&A activity robust. Global dealmaking hit about $1.3 trillion in Q1, but that momentum could fade if energy...
KTG Acquires Fellow Canadian Carrier Sharp Transport
Kriska Transportation Group (KTG) announced the acquisition of Sharp Transportation Systems, a Canadian temperature‑controlled carrier specializing in medical supplies and furniture. The deal, completed March 31, adds Sharp’s Midwest and Northeast network and cross‑border capabilities to KTG’s portfolio. KTG expects operational...
Christmas Comes Early — but Not in a Good Way — for Toymaker
Learning Resources, a U.S. toymaker, purchased a month’s worth of low‑density polyethylene ahead of anticipated price spikes caused by the Iran‑Israel conflict. Prices for the plastic have risen up to 55% in China, Vietnam and India, and supply shortages are...
Hyundai Turns to Cape of Good Hope to Avoid Strait of Hormuz
Hyundai Motor Co. is rerouting its cargo ships around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to bypass the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran‑Israel conflict, adding several weeks of lead time. The automaker has shifted to weekly supply‑chain meetings and higher...
US Charging Networks Race to Keep Up as Gas Prices Boost EVs
U.S. electric‑vehicle charging networks added 605 high‑speed stations in Q1, a 34% year‑over‑year increase, bringing the total to roughly 13,500 public fast chargers. The surge coincided with a spike in gasoline prices to $4.82 amid the Iran conflict, reigniting consumer...
States Weigh Motor Fuel Tax Holidays as Pump Prices Surge
States across the political spectrum are urging governors to enact short‑term motor‑fuel tax holidays as pump prices climb to record levels. Georgia led the charge, signing a 60‑day suspension that has already shaved roughly 33 cents off gasoline and 37 cents off...
International Sells Springfield Plant, Sunsets CV Series
International Motors announced the sale of its historic Springfield Assembly Plant to Canadian defense vehicle maker Roshel after General Motors terminated its medium‑duty Silverado contract. The transaction, terms undisclosed, includes over 2 million sq ft of manufacturing space and will end production of...
Duffy Opens Door to Airline Mergers Amid Fuel Volatility
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signaled openness to airline mergers as jet fuel prices spike amid the Iran‑related closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He told CNBC that President Trump favors large deals, but any consolidation would still undergo scrutiny by...
TMC AI Summit: The Convergence of Technology and Maintenance
The Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Trucking Associations will host an AI Summit during its 2026 Fall Meeting in Pittsburgh, September 20‑24. Co‑hosted with Transport Topics, the summit will examine how generative, agentic and deep‑learning AI can...
Deere Agrees to Pay $99M to Settle 'Right to Repair' Lawsuit
John Deere agreed to a $99 million settlement to resolve a class‑action lawsuit accusing the company of monopolizing farm‑equipment repairs. The deal, still pending court approval, covers customers who paid for large‑scale repairs between January 2018 and the settlement date and includes...
Oil Prices Rise Ahead of Trump's Deadline to Reopen Hormuz
Oil prices surged on April 7 as President Donald Trump set a final deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, pushing U.S. WTI up 3.9% to $116.83 a barrel and Brent to $110.55. The heightened geopolitical risk dragged the...
DOT Budget Blueprint Lifts FMCSA Funding to $946 Million
The Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 budget request allocates $946 million to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, up from prior levels. Of that, $398 million would fund safety operations while $548 million would support safety grants aimed at high‑risk carriers. The broader Department...
US Shale Drillers Expected to Lift Crude Output
U.S. shale drillers are gearing up to increase crude output after a 68% price surge triggered by the Iran‑Israel conflict and Hormuz closure. With West Texas Intermediate trading around $115 per barrel—well above the $62‑$70 profit threshold—companies like Continental Resources...
Shipping Constraints Mount as US Crude Exports Test Limits
Overseas demand for U.S. crude has surged amid the Iran conflict, pushing export volumes toward record levels. Analysts now argue that practical constraints limit Gulf Coast shipments to under 6 million barrels per day, far below the often‑cited 10 million‑bpd capacity. The...
Autel CV Diagnostics: Broad Coverage. Real Capability. Proven Value.
Autel introduced a three‑tiered CV diagnostic suite—MD600CV, MS908CVII, and MS909CV—designed for heavy‑duty technicians across fleets, independent shops, and owner‑operators. The handheld MD600CV delivers rapid triage with bidirectional engine functions, while the tablet‑based MS908CVII offers full Class 1‑9 coverage and faster shop...
Hankook Truck Tire Production Line to Begin Rolling in July
South Korean tire maker Hankook will begin producing truck and bus radial (TBR) tires at its Clarksville, Tennessee plant in early July 2026, marking the first U.S.-based manufacturing of its truck tires. The Phase 3 expansion, part of a $1.6 billion investment,...
US Doubles Hormuz Reinsurance Guarantees to $40 Billion
The U.S. International Development Finance Corp. announced on April 3 that it is doubling its maritime reinsurance guarantee to $40 billion, adding AIG and Berkshire Hathaway to a consortium that already includes Chubb, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Starr and CNA. The expanded program...
Titanium Transportation Closes Management‑Led Buyout
Titanium Transportation Group completed its management‑led take‑private transaction, valuing the company at $2.22 per share. The deal closed March 31, transferring ownership to TTNM Management Acquisition Ltd after shareholder and court approvals. As a result, the company will delist from the...
C.H. Robinson Launches Fuel Relief for Carrier Network
C.H. Robinson announced a free discount fuel card program and waived cash‑advance fees for its carrier network, targeting the 60% of carriers that are owner‑operators. The cards provide discounted fuel and allow drivers to receive up to 60% of their...
BeyondTrucks Deploys AI Agents to Customize Freight Rates
BeyondTrucks unveiled RateAgents, a suite of AI‑driven agents that let carriers set freight rates using plain‑language commands, beginning with a fuel‑surcharge specialist. The technology converts natural language into executable code, sidestepping cumbersome rate tables and costly, inflexible transportation‑management systems. Carriers...
The Power of Predictability: Scale Demands Consistency, Not Speed
PrePass unveiled its Mile Marker 2026 Impact Index, a national benchmark that quantifies how weigh‑station bypass improves fleet efficiency. The study, based on 1.6 billion bypass events, shows an average 7‑minute time saving, half‑gallon fuel reduction and $10.65 operational cost cut...
IMC Logistics Names Rodrigues Next Chief Financial Officer
IMC Logistics announced that David Rodrigues has been appointed chief financial officer, succeeding retiring executive Ted Showalter after a 12‑year tenure. Rodrigues joins from Quick Group, where he served as vice president of finance since 2021, bringing extensive financial leadership...
Volvo Sets July Start for Monterrey Heavy-Duty Truck Plant
Volvo Group will launch production at its new 1.7‑million‑square‑foot Monterrey heavy‑duty truck plant in July 2026, a $700 million investment aimed at expanding North American capacity. Initial volumes will be modest because U.S. and Canadian demand remains soft, but the facility...
US Oil Tops $100 as War With Iran Escalates
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled at $102.88 per barrel on March 30, the first time it crossed the $100 mark since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran. The surge follows President Donald Trump’s threats to target Iranian...
Attacks on Mideast Aluminum Plants Threaten Supply Crisis
Iranian drones and missiles struck the Emirates Global Aluminium plant in Abu Dhabi and Aluminium Bahrain, causing significant damage to two of the Middle East’s largest aluminum smelters. The attacks sent LME aluminum futures up 6% to $3,401 per ton...