Ocean rates show surprising early summer bounce Spot rates published by Freightos to move 40-foot containers from China to the U.S. West Coast and from China to the U.S. East Coast are shown in white and red, respectively. (Chart: SONAR) To the surprise of many, ocean spot rates are approaching, or have risen beyond, February peaks, which coincided with the start of the Red Sea attacks. This CNBC article outlined what’s changed in recent weeks to exacerbate the lingering impacts of the Red Sea situation, including a combination of adverse weather in Asia, seasonal strength and an emerging sh ..read more

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has released the latest list of waivers that allow truck drivers who have had epilepsy or hearing impairment in the past to continue driving. The agency releases such exemptions periodically. Most notably with the latest round is that according to the FMCSA notice on the exemptions in the Federal Register, no comments were submitted in opposition to the waivers. In the case of the epilepsy waiver, 14 drivers will be granted an exemption from the federal rules on driving for those who have suffered from the condition in the past. Eleven drivers w ..read more

The Trucking Association of New York has filed a federal lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in hopes of halting the congestion fee for those driving into Manhattan. The suit, filed Thursday in the Southern District of New York, hopes to prevent the first-of-its-kind toll from going into effect June 30. New York City officials have touted the program as a way to reduce traffic and emissions, but TANY argues that truck drivers will bear the brunt of the fees. Heavy-duty trucks will pay $24 to $36 during peak hours to travel below 60th Street, while taxis and for-hire vehi ..read more

On Episode 719 of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, Dooner is talking about the stats, trends and behaviors driving this year’s surge in cargo theft. Travelers’ Scott Cornell breaks down how thieves are targeting your freight this summer. The free parking debate exploded on social media this week. We’ll take a deeper look at what the argument is all about. Red Classic has been around since 1902. Spencer Webster joins the show to talk about how this 122-year-old company has been able to navigate and adapt to a market influx. SiLo’s PJ Kellogg went from U.S. Secret Service to supply chain. We’ll hear ..read more

Last-mile fulfillment provider OneRail recently introduced a solution, OmniPoint Inventory Visibility, designed to help prevent inventory shrinkage, the discrepancy between recorded inventory and actual stock. The solution, OmniPoint, seeks to address pain points OneRail found in a survey of 300 logistics leaders, two-thirds of whom said they experience inventory shrinkage in transit. Most cited visibility issues or inaccurate inventory data. Related: OneRail survey details retail shippers’ last-mile delivery needs “So what do we do to solve these problems?” Chris Kucharski, chief product and ..read more

A strike looms for more than 9,000 workers at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA ), which could disrupt supply chains across North America. The work stoppage for customs and immigration agents could occur as early as Thursday after the recent release of a federal Public Interest Commission report, which set guidelines for a new collective agreement and gave the workers the legal right to strike. CBSA personnel are represented by Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU). “The clock is ticking,” Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president-elect ..read more

Chad Crotty, vice president of sales and business development for DDC FPO, joined Jeremy Reymer on this week’s episode of Taking the Hire Road. The duo discussed the importance of operational efficiency, the IT workforce shortage and the benefits of partnering with the consultative industry leader to streamline workflows. Like many in the transportation business, Crotty grew up around the industry. His father was a sales manager for a regional trucking company in Illinois, allowing him to meet new people and be causally involved in the industry from a young age.  Crotty himself joined ..read more

To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here The post FreightWaves Infographics: US-Mexico trade tops $200B in first quarter of 2024 appeared first on FreightWaves ..read more

A former high-ranking executive at Polar Air Cargo was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison for participating in a scheme to defraud the company of nearly $33 million in revenue over more than a decade, the Department of Justice announced. Lars Winkelbauer, who was chief operating officer for three years until July 2021 and held various leadership roles at DHL and Polar Air Cargo over a 16-year period, was the biggest fish for prosecutors in a conspiracy that involved nine people. He was arrested in Thailand and extradited to the United States. “Lars Winkelbauer abused his high-level ..read more

Less than three months after my generally upbeat visit to Workhorse Group’s refurbished plant near the Ohio-Indiana border, the electric truck maker’s situation appears dire. Layoffs and furloughs Workhorse has laid off 20% of its workforce. Much of the rest is on unpaid furlough and could be called back to work.  The company is choked with inventory. It has less than $7 million in cash on the books and accounts payable for more than twice that amount. At a projected burn rate less than Q1’s $5.5 million, Workhouse has enough money to get through the next quarter or two if nothing change ..read more