It’s uncertain whether it will change any minds this late in the game, but the outgoing head of the Surface Transportation Board has made it clear he supports keeping Norfolk Southern’s existing management in place. In a speech at the North American Rail Shippers Association’s annual meeting, STB Chairman Martin Oberman said he wasn’t trying to influence a vote set for Thursday — a day before Oberman leaves office — on Ancora Holdings’ effort to oust Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw through a proxy battle. “It’s not my position to urge shareholders how to vote in this election,” Oberman said at ..read more

C.H. Robinson on Tuesday provided details on a technological milestone it touched on during its first-quarter earnings call last week. The 3PL said it now processes 2,000 customer quote requests daily via email for 2,268 customers using a sophisticated large-language model. This AI technology, trained extensively on vast data sets, enables the company to efficiently recognize and generate text or email response back to customers. Related: C.H. Robinson stock blasts higher after strong first-quarter numbers “Before generative AI, replying to that email request defied automation. Customers had ..read more

Less-than-truckload carrier XPO announced Tuesday the opening of three additional service centers, which are part of the 28 it previously acquired for $870 million from bankrupt Yellow Corp.’s estate. XPO (NYSE: XPO) said it’s adding a 36,000-square-foot terminal in Las Vegas to grow its trade show shipping capabilities. The location is XPO’s second in that market and will provide trade show customers with five days of free storage. The carrier also said Tuesday it has opened a 20,000-square-foot terminal in Landover, Maryland, ahead of schedule to ease shipping delays in the area caused by t ..read more

Mexico was the United States’ top trading partner in March, with two-way trade totaling $68.5 billion, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau. It was the third consecutive month and 13th of the past 14 months Mexico has been No. 1 in trade with the U.S. While Mexico retained the top spot in March, year-over-year trade with the U.S. declined 5% in the month compared to the same period in 2023. Canada was the second-ranked U.S. trade partner in March at $65.1 billion, followed by China at No. 3 with $42.7 billion. In the first quarter of 2024, trade between Mexico and the U.S. total ..read more

Amazon has committed to lease 10 additional freighter aircraft from Air Transport Services Group and pay its partner to operate the aircraft over five years as part of a deal that deepens relations between the companies and underscores how the retailer is gaining in the U.S. parcel market. ATSG (NASDAQ: ATSG) announced late Monday that it will begin flying the Boeing 767-300 cargo jets for Amazon’s logistics network this summer, with the potential to add another 10 aircraft, under a five-year contract that bundles aircraft and transportation services. The agreement also extends the existing f ..read more

Another decline in the benchmark retail price of diesel used for most fuel surcharges is the most outward sign of a market that is sagging in several places. The Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration average weekly retail price declined 5.3 cents a gallon Monday, falling to $3.894. It was the fourth consecutive decline and the biggest one-week drop since Dec. 18, and it puts the price at its lowest level since Jan. 29. Retail prices are generally the last place to see the impact of other price moves up the supply chain, and this week’s price is no different. Oil overall and d ..read more

UPS announced on Monday that Brian Newman, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will leave the company on June 1 to focus on his health. According to a press release from Atlanta-based UPS, the company will look internally and externally to select Newman’s successor. Glenn Zaccara, UPS vice president of communications, told FreightWaves that the company has started that search process. “On behalf of the company and the entire Board of Directors, I thank Brian for his significant contributions to UPS,” said Carol Tomé, UPS chief executive officer, in a press release. “Brian ha ..read more

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers have approved legislation directing the U.S. Postal Service to set new rules for keeping track of crashes involving its trucking contractors, including penalties against motor carriers for failing to report them. On Monday the House passed, by voice vote, the Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act of 2024, which would require contract carriers and Postal Service employees to report to the agency roadway crashes involving vehicles carrying mail and resulting in injury or death no later that three days after the crash. It also would require the Postal Service to maintain ..read more

The Center for Transportation and the Environment launched a project in California to deploy Hyundai Motor Co.’s hydrogen-powered trucks to boost zero-emission freight transportation in the state. The $53 million project, NorCal Zero, will bring 30 of Hyundai’s Xcient Fuel Cell electric trucks to the San Francisco Bay and Central Valley areas, CTE said in a news release. The Xcient is touted as the world’s first mass-produced, heavy-duty truck powered by hydrogen. Officials celebrated the project’s launch at a dedication of a hydrogen fueling station in West Oakland last week.  “Hyundai ..read more

The weak trucking market, so evidenced in disastrous first-quarter earnings for both truckload and LTL carriers, is having a mixed impact on new Class 8 truck orders, according to the two key companies that track that data. FTR Transportation Intelligence reported that preliminary net orders for April were 14,000 units. That was down 28% from March but up 12.5% from April 2023.  Meanwhile, ACT Research pegged Class 8 net orders last month at 15,600 units. That was down 1,800, or 10.3%, from March but up 30% from a year ago. According to FTR, the April numbers on truck orders were “consis ..read more