This week I went to Manifest in Las Vegas to cover truck technology. The conference didn’t disappoint: Representatives from Torc Robotics, Outrider, Bot Auto and other key players in the industry were among over 6,000 participants. Below are some of my initial thoughts.
FreightLiner shows off kitted Cascadia and fleet support
One conversation I had at the conference was with an analyst at...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-goes-to-vegas-and-driverless-technologies-run-the-table
Data released Tuesday by freight audit and payment provider U.S. Bank showed a trucking industry continuing to battle a variety of headwinds. According to the latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, shipment volumes fell 4.7% from the previous quarter, marking the 10th consecutive quarterly decline. Spending by shippers also decreased, albeit at a slower rate of 2.2%.
“It’s clear there are both cyclical and structural...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/q4-freight-market-continues-to-face-headwinds
Iowa-based truckload carrier Heartland Express reported its sixth consecutive quarterly net loss (excluding one-time gains) in its Q4 earnings report. The company posted a net loss of $1.9 million. For the 12 months ending Dec. 31, 2024, operating revenue was $1 billion, with an operating loss of $20.2 million.
Despite the ongoing financial challenges, CEO Mike Gerdin expressed cautious optimism regarding the...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/heartland-posts-q4-loss-but-sees-positive-shift-for-q1
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Truck Leasing Task Force (TLTF) delivered a scathing report on lease-purchase (LP) programs managed by motor carriers in the trucking industry. The TLTF’s findings described the programs as tools of “fraud and driver...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-leasing-task-force-blasts-lease-purchase-programs
For the folks at Morgan Stanley, Q4 earnings season has the potential to reveal actual progress and results for freight transportation companies, according to a research report released on Monday. But the management teams themselves may not speak much of it. Ravi Shanker, equity analyst with Morgan Stanley, writes, “While companies are likely to talk down 1Q on seasonality, we see data momentum...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dueling-narratives-ahead-of-q4-transportation-earnings
Recent trailer data released by ACT Research and FTR Transportation Intelligence showed net trailer orders improving compared to October but below seasonal expectations, as fleets prioritize spending on Class 8 tractors. ACT Research reported November net trailer orders rose 23% to 20,800 units. Year-to-date orders are at 139,100 units, down 34% compared to November 2023’s total ytd orders at 211,000 bookings. While bookings rose, so did...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/november-trailer-orders-rise-but-remain-below-expectations
On Wednesday, Morgan Stanley released its 2025 Transportation Outlook, which describes the next year as likely a tale of two halves, one with a powerful restocking-driven upcycle followed by the fears of a downcycle beginning in 2026. For the upcycle, there are many unanswered questions, including how long it will last. Historically there was an 18-month restocking cycle in 2018 and...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-outlook-sugar-high-or-sustained-upswing
Preliminary Class 8 order numbers look promising for November but remain lower compared to last year, according to recent data from ACT Research and FTR Transportation Intelligence. ACT Research reported November preliminary Class 8 orders at 37,200 units, a 21% increase from last month but 11% lower than last year. Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research, wrote in the release, “We are still in the early...