Autonomous freight grows as source of 3rd-party capacity

Red Kodiak robotics truck in front of row of Werner Enterprises trucks

Kodiak Robotics and Werner Enterprises hauled autonomous freight four times round-trip between Dallas and Lake City, Florida, over 152 consecutive hours, the latest evidence that robots could replace human drivers on unpopular long-haul routes. 

With commercialization of driverless trucks still years away, Kodiak slipped its trained safety drivers in and out of the Peterbilt 579 cabs as the hours-of-service clock ticked down to the 11-hour limit of operation. The trucks didn’t need a break....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/as-autonomous-trucking-routes-get-longer-who-does-the-supervising

Aurora adds Schneider to autonomous pilot customer list

Peterbilt 579 hauls orange Schneider trailer

Aurora Innovation is adding freight giant Schneider to a growing list of fleets testing its Aurora Driver autonomous trucking software.

“Understanding more about an autonomous future is the logical next step to build a network that continues to deliver the best service for our customers,” Rob Reich, Schneider executive vice president and chief administrative officer, said in a press release.

Schneider (NYSE: SNDR) hauls 19,318 loads per day for America’s biggest companies covering more than 9.3...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/aurora-adds-schneider-to-autonomous-pilot-customer-list

Transforming talent acquisition

Even before truck driver shortages were making headlines due to the coronavirus, long-haul driver turnover averaged 94% on an annualized basis. With the additional challenges imposed by the pandemic, some companies’ turnover rates are as high as 150%. 

“The trucking industry is short 80,000 drivers, a record high,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of American Trucking Associations. “That’s a 30% increase from before the pandemic.”

For U.S. Xpress Enterprises, the fifth-largest asset-based...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/transforming-talent-acquisition

Los camioneros consumen más cocaína que marihuana, según un estudio

Un nuevo estudio revela que el Departamento de Transporte de Estados Unidos puede estar subregistrando el abuso de cocaína por parte de los conductores de camiones, un hallazgo que podría poner más presión sobre los reguladores federales para permitir las pruebas de cabello como una alternativa a las pruebas de orina para la detección de drogas antes de la contratación por parte de las empresas de transporte.

Dado que el Centro de Intercambio de Información sobre Drogas y Alcohol de la...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/los-camioneros-consumen-mas-cocaina-que-marihuana-segun-un-estudio

Truckers using cocaine more than marijuana, study finds

A new study reveals that the U.S. Department of Transportation may be underreporting cocaine abuse by truck drivers, a finding that could put more pressure on federal regulators to allow hair testing as an alternative to urine testing for preemployment drug screening by trucking companies.

Because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse does not allow hair test results to be included in the database, DOT “is seriously underreporting the actual use of harder...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truckers-using-cocaine-more-than-marijuana-study-finds

Viewpoint: Trucking industry must support diversity and inclusion efforts

This commentary was written by U.S. Xpress President and CEO Eric Fuller. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

By Eric Fuller

As the leader of a large, publicly traded trucking company, it’s my responsibility to look out for our nearly 10,000 team members, our investors and our industry. Part of this involves assessing risks both near and long term. 

In recent months, I’ve become increasingly...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/viewpoint-trucking-industry-must-support-diversity-and-inclusion-efforts

It’s time to embrace chaos in the supply chain

When I first launched FreightWaves, I would get asked if I could build a media and data business solely dedicated to supply chain and logistics. To many this seemed like a boring and niche topic that few would ever care about. I would point out that logistics is 12% of global GDP, and 40% of the global economy is tied to logistics-dependent industries, with billions of jobs relying upon a functioning supply chain. 

Supply chains are under constant stress. A winter storm, hurricane, labor strike...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/its-time-to-embrace-chaos-in-the-supply-chain

Western Express to deploy Platform Science’s full technology suite

Western Express to deploy Platform Science technology

Western Express has become the latest large, national fleet to adopt Platform Science’s connected vehicle platform, announcing Thursday that it would roll out the open Internet of Things (IoT) technology across its fleet of 3,000 trucks.

The Nashville, Tennessee-based truckload carrier will deploy the full suite of technologies available from Platform Science. The complete rollout is expected to be finished before the end of the year.

“Platform Science has helped streamline our operations,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/western-express-to-deploy-platform-sciences-full-technology-suite

Self-driving truck startup TuSimple files for public ownership

Self-driving truck startup TuSimple filed on Tuesday to become a public company. It is seeking to sell at least $100 million in shares.

Tu Simple filed its paperwork confidentially with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in December. The SEC completed its review, clearing the way for TuSimple to list on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker TSP as soon as next month. The filing left blank how many shares would be issued and at what price.

TuSimple chose to go public through a...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/self-driving-truck-startup-tusimple-files-for-public-ownership

Survey: Most Americans want $2M minimum liability insurance for trucks

Commercial trucks are required to carry a minimum of just $750,000 in liability insurance — a figure that hasn’t increased in nearly 40 years. But in recent research by U.S. Xpress (NYSE: USX), 76% of U.S. adults agree or strongly agree the government should increase the minimum amount to $2 million.

In its Safe Trucking Report released Wednesday, the company details a few of its industry-leading road safety practices — including robust liability insurance. U.S. Xpress reports that it has...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/survey:-most-americans-want-$2m-minimum-liability-insurance-for-trucks

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