AskWaves

Parcel shippers to feel more fuel surcharge pain

Time was that fuel surcharges were straight pass-through levies from the carriers to their customers. Surcharges accurately reflected a carrier’s fuel costs. Indices that set the surcharges were adjusted up or down depending on the direction of diesel and jet fuel prices.

Those days are long gone. Today, carriers routinely arbitrage fuel prices and surcharges to wring every last revenue dollar out of their shipments. In the parcel-delivery sector, which is still dominated by FedEx Corp. (NYSE:...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/parcel-shippers-to-feel-more-fuel-surcharge-pain

How truckers can weather snow squalls

Snow squalls in the Northeast last weekend led to traffic accidents involving 18-wheelers, as well as a multihour shutdown of Interstate 81 in eastern Pennsylvania. Snow squalls are brief but intense bursts of heavy snow, strong winds and whiteout conditions that often reduce visibility at the drop of a hat. They can also cause roads to become icy. These are a few quick safety tips for truckers to follow when encountering these storms.

Related: Truckers honored as Highway Angels for feeding...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-truckers-can-weather-snow-squalls

What’s involved in an RFP for an LTL shipper?

The more detail an LTL carrier has the more accurate your pricing will be.

RFPs in the less-than-truckload industry have changed significantly in recent years. The days of just providing shipment weights, volumes and lanes are gone. For shippers to get an accurate upfront quote, they need to provide much more detailed information.

For a carrier, the main cost drivers are space, time and risk, according to Curtis Garrett, VP of pricing and carrier relations at Recon Logistics.

The space component looks at cubed space and how loaded or dense the cube is. Also,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/whats-involved-in-an-rfp-for-an-ltl-shipper

Where are truckers most at risk from February tornadoes?

Although February is a winter month, tornadoes are still a threat this time of the year. When winter tornadoes hit, they can be as deadly as they are in other seasons if truckers aren’t prepared. The South is more prone to February tornadoes than any other region of the country, and there’s a threat of severe weather there Thursday.

Related: Winter severe storm threat for truckers in South

Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes often develop in the winter when a strong jet stream disturbance moves...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/where-are-truckers-most-at-risk-from-february-tornadoes

Why aren’t North American freight rail crews staging cross-border protests?

The truckers’ protests at the U.S.-Canadian border began over COVID-19 vaccine mandates: Canadian workers needed to be vaccinated crossing into the United States and vice versa. 

North American freight rail operations also cross the border, but there hasn’t been the same level of dissent among rail workers. The rail unions and some of the Class I railroads did go to court over rail companies’ implementation of the vaccine mandate for federal contractors — a mandate that has since been stalled by...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/why-arent-north-american-freight-rail-crews-staging-cross-border-protests

Could blue hydrogen accelerate transition to green?

AskWaves explores whether hydrogen has to be green right away?

Every mode of transportation is considering hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels such as e-methanol to decarbonize freight. But there is debate about whether hydrogen needs to be green right away or if the industry should use blue hydrogen until the cost of green hydrogen becomes more economical.

Green hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity that powers electrolyzers to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Blue hydrogen is produced using natural gas reformation, but its carbon dioxide...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/could-blue-hydrogen-accelerate-transition-to-green

From ice cream delivery to pharmaceutical transport, reefers wear many hats

Refrigerated trucks, or reefer trucks as they are known in the trucking industry, play a vital role in the supply chain.

Reefers keep perishable commodities at controlled temperatures to prevent heat and bacteria from ruining them. There are some highly specialized refrigeration units that reportedly go as low as minus 85.

Reefers haul mostly food and pharmaceuticals — everything from fresh produce to frozen meats, medicine to medical plasma. Sometimes reefers pick up boxed fresh citrus or...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/from-ice-cream-delivery-to-pharmaceutical-transport-reefers-wear-many-hats

What opportunities are available to support truck drivers?

Throughout the pandemic, and now with tight capacity and lack of inventory on shelves, drivers are filling one of America’s most essential positions, moving 72% of domestic freight with their trucks.

While many consumers can be found using hashtags like #thankadriver on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, multiple nonprofit organizations work to address workplace issues that burden these vital workers.

In this AskWaves, FreightWaves examines four organizations and their efforts to improve drivers’...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/what-opportunities-are-available-to-support-truck-drivers

How costly were 2021 US weather disasters?

Wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as an ice storm and cold snap, were among 20 weather and climate disasters in the U.S. last year that cost $1 billion or more apiece. The total cost of the disasters, which killed 688 people, was $145 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In an annual report that NOAA released last week, scientists said 2021 ranked as the fourth-warmest year on record in the U.S., with December being the warmest December on record.

R...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-costly-were-2021-us-weather-disasters

Why should truckers upgrade 3G devices soon?

Time is running out for trucking companies to upgrade or replace third-generation mobile devices to 5G services because the major cellular providers say there’s no plans to postpone deadlines to sunset 3G devices. Failure to do so could result in truckers getting dinged for hours-of-service violations if logging devices can’t function properly.

AT&T, which plans to end its 3G wireless network on Feb. 22, has been communicating with business customers for nearly three years about transitioning to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/why-should-truckers-upgrade-3g-devices-soon

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