Trucking Drives Another Record Setting Month in For-Hire Freight Movements

Freight Transportation Services Index, August 2012 - August 2017. Graphic: U.S. DOT

The amount of freight moved by U.S. for-hire transportation providers hit an all-time high again in August, according to Transportation Department figures, after breaking the previous record the month before.

The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) increased 1.5% in August to a reading of 130.7, which is also a 6.7% gain from August 2016, the largest year-over-year gain in nearly seven years.

The Freight TSI's new all-time high in August is also 4.6% above the level of July 2016, the highest level prior to 2017. August was the second all-time high in a row, and the third in four months.

The freight index in August exceeded the level of 130 for the first time, showing a 30% rise over the baseline in the year 2000. The index reached 110, a 10% increase over the baseline, in March 2004, and it reached 120, a 20% gain over the baseline, in April 2014.

The July index was revised upward to 128.8 from an earlier estimate while numbers for April and May were revised up slightly and June was revised down a bit.

The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in for-hire freight shipments by mode of transportation in tons and ton-miles, which are combined into one index. The index consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.

The August increase in the Freight TSI was driven by a large gain in trucking and smaller gains in air freight and rail intermodal, according to the department. Water and pipeline freight decreased while rail carloads were stable.

The increase took place against a background of growth in several other economic indicators in August. Employment, personal income and housing starts all increased. The Institute for Supply Management's Purchasing Managers' Index showed positive and accelerating ...Read the rest of this story

KAG develops pay increase program to combat driver shortage

The Kenan Advantage Group (KAG), a bulk transportation and logistics provider, has a pay increase strategy to address trucking industry driver shortages.

The program calls for guaranteed pay increases for the next three years to elevate driver pay to levels that would attract new drivers required to meet the capacity and growing needs of KAG's customers.

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Taking the sting out of trucking’s training programs

A good article by Boaz Amidor cloud-based training firm WalkMe identifies many of the reasons many workers – managers as well as front-line employees – dread days when they have to sit through safety meetings, or wellness programs, and the like.

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MercuryGate launches new fleet management platform

MercuryGate International announced during its annual user conference, Velocity2017, the launch of MercuryMaestro, a business intelligence (BI) platform designed to enhance the value and visual presentation of data captured within MercuryGate's TMS solutions.

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FBI Group agrees to acquire Consolidated Carriers

The FBI Group announced an agreement to acquire Consolidated Carriers, a non-asset-based freight broker in Markham, Ontario. The transaction closed on Oct. 1. Consolidated Carriers employees, including owner Wayne McCord, will join The FBI Group and be located at its headquarters in Vaughan, Ontario.

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SpecFinder Narrows Down Search for Tractor Wheels

Photo: Alcoa Wheels

Arconic launched the SpecFinder online tool for Alcoa aluminum truck wheels. The SpecFinder search tool is designed to streamline the lightweight, aluminum wheel-shopping process for fleets, OEMs, and owner/operators.

SpecFinder compiles specific system and identification codes from different tractor manufacturers to allow fleets, owner/operators, and dealers to compare which wheels best fit their needs. With SpecFinder, users can select wheel parameters to get their specified OEM data code.

Related: Arconic Signs $450 Million in Supply Deals for its Alcoa Wheels

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ATA Supports President’s Health Insurance Executive Order

Screenshot via WhiteHouse.gov

American Trucking Associations has praised President Trump for signing an executive order that will allow individuals to purchase health insurance through association health plans.

“After laying out the case for how tax reform benefits our industry, today President Trump is taking substantive action to improve the lives of millions of Americans, including the 7.5 million employed in trucking-related jobs,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO. “By allowing people to pool together to purchase health insurance plans that are sponsored by larger associations and groups, the administration is helping to lower health care costs and improve access.”

Spear went on to say that nine out of ten motor carriers have fewer than six trucks and the types of plans allowed by the president's order could provide more options for those small companies to offer affordable healthcare to their employees.

ATA leaders and representatives in attendance for the White House signing ceremony were Spear, ATA Chairman Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express; ATA member Harold Summerford Jr., CEO of J&M Tank Lines Inc; and professional truck driver Danny Smith of Big G Express.

“Being a safe, professional truck driver has not only been a tremendous career for me, it has allowed me to see the country and to provide for my family – including providing health insurance,” said Smith. “Reducing the cost of that insurance is very important so I'm happy President Trump is taking steps to do that.”

Related: ATA Leaders and Road Team Captains Deliver Policy Message to Trump

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