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$1,400 COVID relief checks to trigger surge in e-commerce shipments

A FedEx driver unloads a parcel van.

Federal stimulus checks of $1,400 could be landing in Americans’ bank accounts by next week. It won’t be long before some of those dollars are recycled into online orders and e-commerce fulfillment companies see a spurt in volume, logistics experts say.

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected Wednesday to pass the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package and President Joe Biden says he will quickly sign it into law.

Individuals earning up to $75,000 and couples earning up to $150,000 are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/$1400-covid-relief-checks-to-trigger-surge-in-e-commerce-shipments

Are SPACs redirecting blank check love to self-driving truck startups?

As the special purpose acquisition companies’ (SPACs) love affair with electric vehicle startups cools, infatuation backed by blank check-writing investors may blossom for self-driving truck startups.

After several months of stock price run-ups in SPAC-sponsored electric vehicle and infrastructure companies, prices have fallen dramatically in recent weeks. In some cases, they are edging close to their original $10-per-share offering price.

One target in the shift from electrification appears to...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/are-spacs-redirecting-blank-check-love-to-self-driving-truck-startups?

Canada’s fast-approaching ELD mandate won’t be enforced — at first

An electronic-logging device (ELD) on the dash of a commercial truck. Canada will require the use of ELDs in commercial trucks as of June 12 when its ELD mandate comes into force.

Canada took a slower road than the United States to implementing its electronic logging device (ELD) mandate for commercial vehicles. In doing so, it added teeth: a requirement that ELDs undergo certification by a third party accredited by the government. 

When the Canadian ELD mandate takes effect on June 12, it won’t have any immediate bite. Initial enforcement measures, according to the Canadian government, will consist of “education and awareness.” The mandate approaches as no ELD has been...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/canada\\\\

5 states with most structurally deficient bridges

Centennial Bridge spanning the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois.

The 600,000 bridges in the U.S., and the roads they connect, are crucial to the nation’s transportation network. They carry about 3 trillion vehicle miles of travel annually, accounting for about 85% of the total value of freight shipped in the U.S.

However, more than 46,000 bridges are structurally deficient, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and some may be dangerous for truckers. Structural deficiency doesn’t necessarily mean all of these bridges are unsafe, but it does...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/5-states-with-most-structurally-deficient-bridges

Why women are more interested in driving trucks

Einride survey reveals technology is drawing women into trucking.

Emina Nilsson is a very social person. So when an opportunity arrived in her native Sweden to drive a truck for a living, she didn’t immediately embrace it. Sitting by herself all day behind the wheel? Not exactly her idea of fun.

“I never saw myself as the type of girl who would drive a truck,” she told FreightWaves.

International Women’s Day is March 8. Click here for more information.

But this was not your traditional diesel truck. Instead, it was an electric truck that she would be...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/einride-survey:-technology-increases-womens-interest-in-trucking

Intermodal poised for run, according to Wells Fargo

Intermodal demand on the rise

Pointing to intermodal share gains versus other modes and inventories in need of significant replenishment, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) equity research analyst Allison Poliniak-Cusic has raised her price targets on intermodal providers Hub Group (NASDAQ: HUBG) and J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT).

“Our findings suggest that intermodal continues to grow as a share of the U.S. freight market (approaching ~20% of U.S. Rail freight revenue), while inventory levels within the U.S. still remain notably below...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/intermodal-poised-for-run-according-to-wells-fargo

Report: Panasonic set to acquire Blue Yonder for $6.5B

This is a developing story and FreightWaves will continue to update this file.

Artificial intelligence-driven digital fulfillment provider Blue Yonder is expected to be acquired by Panasonic, according to a report by Nikkei Asia. The Japanese manufacturing company is expected to pay $6.5 billion in its biggest acquisition in a decade.

Panasonic acquired a 20% stake in Blue Yonder in 2020 for approximately $790 million. Reuters reports that Panasonic will acquire the rest of the stock from...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/report:-panasonic-set-to-acquire-blue-yonder-for-$65b

Did COVID kill retail stores? It’s complicated

State by state ecommerce sales boom

A general assumption that state restrictions because of COVID-19 drove consumers from retail stores to online sales may not be completely accurate, according to a data analysis. While e-commerce sales skyrocketed in 2020, and in-store sales declined across the board, data from Commerce Signals indicates that some of the states with the largest percentage increases in e-commerce sales also saw among the smallest declines in in-store sales.

Commerce Signals tracks consumer spending through credit...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/data-analysis-did-covid-kill-retail-stores-its-complicated

Weather looks to be factor in February’s decline in trucking jobs

The earlier report on the unemployment numbers from FreightWaves can be found here. 

The decline in February U.S. trucking employment from January, which is in the opposite direction of most January to February changes, might have been as a result of some historically bad weather. 

That is the conclusion of Aaron Terrazas, the director of economic research at Convoy. Terrazas regularly comments on the monthly unemployment report.

The employment report for February reported that seasonally adjusted...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/weather-looks-to-be-factor-in-februarys-decline-in-trucking-jobs

Filet mignon, a nap and massage? Perks for warehouse workers may get an upgrade

It’s July 10, 2031, a typically hot day in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Inside an air-conditioned warehouse, an employee clocks out for lunch using an iPhone app, then leaves the comfortable warehouse floor in shoes custom-made for warehouse work. The worker mulls a stroll along a shaded path adjacent to the facility. However, the cafeteria beckons with an array of high-quality cuisine paid for by the employer. After lunch, the worker may catch a short snooze in the well-appointed break room, or get...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/filet-mignon-or-cracked-crab?-perks-for-warehouse-workers-may-get-an-upgrade

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