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At least 13 dead in California crash involving truck

This is a developing story and FreightWaves will update it as more information is made available.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported at least 13 people died from an accident involving an SUV and tractor-trailer near Holtville, California.

The crash between a Ford Expedition carrying 25 people and a double tractor-trailer occurred around 6:15 a.m., on Highway 115 and Norrish Road northwest of Holtville, Omar Watson, CHP border division chief, said during a press conference.

“The big rig was...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/at-least-15-dead-in-california-crash-involving-truck

GSCW Day 7 keynote: GaryVee on importance of personal branding

Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX, CEO of VaynerMedia and popular public speaker, has always been outspoken about the importance of a personal brand. 

Instead of relying on sales teams, companies like Nike have used the power of a brand to drive sales revenue. They can create content like podcasts, blogs and videos that are entertaining and engage customers to create long-term sales growth.

“I think a lot of people struggle with personal brands because they think that person is a narcissist...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/gscw-day-7-keynote:-garyvee-on-importance-of-personal-branding

Teamsters see pro-labor proposal leveling playing field at XPO

Legislation that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters asserts will make collective bargaining more fair at XPO Logistics [NYSE: XPO] and other trucking companies has the potential to gain traction in the current Congress – and it has the full support of President Joe Biden.

The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act was introduced in February and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he plans to take it up for consideration next week. The bill was approved by the House when it...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/teamsters-see-pro-labor-proposal-leveling-playing-field-at-xpo

Workhorse may fight mail truck order awarded to Oshkosh

Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS) will meet face-to-face with the U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday and may fight to be included in the program for next-generation mail delivery trucks.

The Cincinnati-based company was stunned last Tuesday when the Postal Service awarded a 10-year contract worth an initial $482 million to defense contractor Oshkosh Truck Co. (NYSE: OSK) for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles.

“This is not the result we had anticipated or hoped for,” Workhorse CEO Duane Hughes said...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/workhorse-may-fight-mail-truck-order-awarded-to-oshkosh

Investigative: KeepTruckin fights NTSB bid to remove its ELD technology in wake of crash

KeepTruckin disagrees with the NTSB finding to remove its ELD devices from the market

Nearly three months after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) called for KeepTruckin’s electronic logging technology to be removed from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s list of self-certified providers, the San Francisco-based company is fighting to clear its name.

KeepTruckin filed a petition for reconsideration with the NTSB in late January, calling for the independent agency to rescind its recommendation that the FMCSA remove KeepTruckin’s electronic logging...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/investigative:-keeptruckin-fights-ntsb-bid-to-remove-its-eld-technology-in-wake-of-crash

Mexican automakers hope to fire on all cylinders in 2021

After a disruptive year, Mexico’s light vehicle manufacturers hope to revive a sector depressed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as hampered by shortages of semiconductor components and energy for factories.

Some of the best opportunities for the industry’s recovery could come from U.S.-China trade tensions, along with changes initiated by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), said José Zozaya Délano, executive president of the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA).

“It is...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/mexican-automakers-hope-to-fire-on-all-cylinders-in-2021

GSCW keynote: Puranik’s five C’s that influence margins

“Your legacy depends on your margins.”

Rani Puranik, the co-owner and global chief financial officer for Houston-based Worldwide Oilfield Machine, provided an inspired keynote speech for Day 5 of FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week. The Day 5 focus was energy, chemicals and mining.

The overall focus was on margins; after all, it was her dad who once told her, “It’s all about the margins, Rani. It’s all about the margins.” And as Puranik herself noted about the interconnected web of supply and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/gscw-keynote-puraniks-five-cs-that-influence-margins

Revolution makes $2.7B SPAC deal with ‘perfect fit’ Berkshire Grey

Berkshire Grey

Making its inaugural deal, special purpose acquisition company Revolution Acceleration Acquisition Corp. has entered into an agreement with Berkshire Grey, which provides AI-enabled integrated robotic solutions for the supply chain. 

The deal values the combined company at $2.7 billion and is expected to provide Berkshire Grey about $413 million in cash.

“My partner Steve Case and I are thrilled to have identified Berkshire Grey for our inaugural SPAC,” said Revolution Chief Executive Officer...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/revolution-makes-$27b-spac-deal-with

Self-driving truck technology startup TuSimple nears stock offering

Self-driving truck technology developer TuSimple expects to file a prospectus to sell public stock as soon as next week, according to published reports and people close to the situation.

The company, with offices in San Diego and Beijing, has 50 Level 4 autonomous trucks running paid freight in Southwestern states. Those trucks still have a safety driver who can assume control of the vehicle if necessary. TuSimple is partnering with Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) to sell a long-haul...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/self-driving-truck-technology-startup-tusimple-nears-stock-offering

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