TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.07.22 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending July 22, 2023, written by Vicki Simons.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding Teamsters and Yellow:
There is quite a bit of tension in the trucking industry right now regarding the Teamsters, UPS, and Yellow.
Please keep your eyes open regarding this frail situation and be prepared to pivot, if necessary.
Teamsters
- 5 things to know with the UPS-Teamsters clock ticking
- Congressional support growing for UPS Teamsters
- Senate Dems pledge to stay out of UPS-Teamsters dispute
- Teamsters Ask Biden Not to Intervene if UPS Workers Strike
- Teamsters issue strike notice at Yellow
- Teamsters oppose White House involvement in UPS talks
- Teamsters president says he’s asked the White House not to intervene if UPS workers go on strike
- Teamsters rally in Atlanta ahead of UPS negotiations
- UPS Pilots to Honor Picket Lines if Teamsters Strike
- UPS pilots won’t fly if Teamsters strike
- UPS set to return to negotiating table with Teamsters next week
- UPS to sweeten offer as Teamsters-represented workers prepare to strike
- UPS, Teamsters Agree to Resume Talks July 25
- UPS, Teamsters to return to table
Yellow
According to How Yellow bankruptcy could slam trucking:
Yellow Corp. (NASDAQ: YELL) has failed to make its required pension contributions for June and is planning to withhold payments for July. The pension funds, pension accruals and health care coverage for workers will suspend on Sunday, according to a statement by the Teamsters.
The Teamsters union has threatened to strike by Monday if this is not resolved and the pension contributions remain in default. The company owes $50 million, a large sum for a company in financial distress. Yellow currently has in excess of $100 million in cash reserves, according to an 8-K filed on July 7.
According to VIDEO: Driver who says he worked for Yellow for 30 years loses it over hearing his pension could be gone:
Heartbreaking video shows a driver releasing his frustration after learning that his pension is at risk amidst trucking company Yellow Corp.’s financial woes.
On July 15, Yellow withheld pension and healthcare payments totaling $50 million and now will be booted out of the Central States Pension Fund on July 23, according to The Hill. Teamsters are threatening to strike July 24 in response. Yellow says that they plan to pay the pension fund as soon as they can secure financing.
Here are other articles on this topic:
- Yellow Trucking Draws Teamsters Ire After Refusing to Make Healthcare Benefits Payments
- 22,000 Yellow workers threaten to strike as company misses benefit payouts
- Check Call: Yellow and UPS falter; what comes next?
- Federal judge says Yellow’s Teamster workers can strike
- Judge Denies Yellow’s Request to Block Strike
- Life or death: Court decides Yellow’s – WTT
- Looking back at some of the top Yellow Corp. stories over the past year
- LTL rates bounce as Yellow struggles with union
- Strike risk rises as Yellow punts on more than $50M in required contributions
- Teamsters give Yellow strike notice; autonomous truck pilots; and state of EV charging – WTT
- Teamsters issue strike notice after Yellow Corp. fails to make $50M in benefits contributions
- The data to watch if Yellow shuts down
- The State of Freight: 5 takeaways on Yellow’s fate and a UPS strike
- Trucking customers avoid, accept Yellow
- Uber Freight temporarily suspends loads to Yellow
- UPS/Yellow contingency plans; marijuana supply chains and driver data privacy – WTT
- Yellow blames Teamsters for its woes as strike looms
- Yellow blames Teamsters for liquidity crunch, union barks back
- Yellow Corp Maneuvers for Time to Broker Teamsters Deal, Avoid Bankruptcy
- Yellow loses attempt to stop strike
- Yellow not paying — yet — even as potential strike looms
- Yellow Teamsters members could strike Monday
- Yellow truck drivers fear potential bankruptcy
- Yellow’s fate likely in hands of Kansas district court
2. Regarding ports and strike:
Ports
- Canada Dockworkers to Vote on New Contract Today
- Canadian Dockworkers May Be Reconsidering Rejected Offer
- Now Canada Dockworkers Won’t Go Back on Strike After All
- Port labor deal in British Columbia collapses, strike resumes
- Ports in limbo as union abruptly rescinds strike notice
- SC Ports’ fiscal 2023 ‘a much more typical year’ following cargo boom
- Uncertainty at B.C. ports as possible labor deal emerges
Strike
According to Non-FedEx shippers may lose out if strike occurs at UPS, consultant says:
Shippers that don’t have existing relationships with FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) may find it difficult to arrange for FedEx to handle their shipments in the event the Teamsters union strikes UPS Inc. (NYSE: UPS) starting Aug. 1, a consultant said Wednesday.
Other articles on this topic include:
- 10 days’ notice
- A UPS Strike May Curb Progress on Inflation, Supply Chains
- B.C. port strike back on after workers reject deal
- Longshore workers to renew strike action Saturday
- Running on Ice: Staying cool during possible UPS strike
3. Regarding costs, earnings, economy, rates, and tolls:
Costs
Earnings
I have broken out the articles in this section separately from those in the “Economy” section below to show that even some established trucking companies are experiencing financial turmoil right now.
- J.B. Hunt still working through bottom of cycle
- Knight-Swift reels in 2023 outlook after poor Q2
- Knight-Swift Reports 71% Earnings Drop for Q2
- Loaded and Rolling: J.B. Hunt’s Q2 freight bottom-cycle blues
- Mullen’s revenue, profit slide compared to a year ago
- Pam Transportation sees earnings fall 60% in Q2
Economy
- ACT Research: June used truck market enjoys ‘historically expected’ sales gains
- Annual demand dip paints incomplete picture of California markets
- ATA Truck Tonnage Index sees 2.1% increase in June
- Class 8 tractor production saw June gains
- Container shipping stocks outperform despite market gloom
- Container Volumes Down Year-Over-Year in June
- Despite challenges, trucking revenue, tonnage, employment all grew in 2022
- Economic Trucking Trends: Freight recession lingers, but economic growth to improve
- June Medium-Duty Truck Sales Increase 22.7%
- June Trailer Orders Drop 59% Year-Over-Year
- June Truck Tonnage Ticks Down 0.8% on Annual Basis
- M&A Trucking Market Weathers 2023 Headwinds
- Mega-facility leasing activity shrinks materially in 1st half, CBRE says
- Odyssey Logistics gets better outlook from Moody’s than some peers
- Preliminary net trailer orders fall, according to ACT Research
- Prologis beats Q2 expectations, lowers rent growth forecast
- Retail Sales Up 0.2% in June
- Trailer orders hit seasonal low in June
- TriumphPay records progress on profitability in tough quarter
- Truck freight tonnage, revenues rise in 2022, new ATA report says
Rates
- Analysts Rate Freight Cycle at or Near Bottom
- DAT Truckload Volume Index: June signals that spot rates have hit bottom
- DAT: June Data Signals Spot Rates Have Hit Bottom
- It is time to take control of low-volume contract lanes
- Spot rates fall for all equipment types in the latest week
Tolls
- Briefly: Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission increases tolls by 5%
- Pennsylvania hiking turnpike tolls | Spot market summer doldrums have arrived?
- Truckers hit with a major toll hike on the Pennsylvania Turnpike
- Turnpike commission approves toll hike for all users
4. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, emissions, and fuel:
Autonomous vehicles
I am totally opposed to driverless, autonomous, or self-driving commercial motor vehicles being operated on the same roads as the motoring public, but share these articles to help you stay current on the topic.
I see this article Kodiak Robotics’ autonomous rigs allowed to pre-clear roadside inspections as potentially letting autonomous trucks “slide” in ways that trucks driven by humans cannot.
- Are driverless trucks in California a dead issue?
- Autonomous trucks topic of advancing California bill
- California Bill Would Keep Drivers in Autonomous Cabs
- Carrier relationships vital to deploying autonomous technologies
- Javelin Robotics’ vision for autonomous trucks builds on Canadian expertise
- Kodiak, Drivewyze Piloting New Autonomous Truck Inspection Program
- Making autonomous trucks bypass weigh stations
- TuSimple begins catch-up on financial filings
Electric vehicles
According to this article, EV Owners Cautioned About Potential Disruption to Summer Travel Plans:
With the hottest weeks of summer upon us and the nearly record-breaking temperatures sizzling across the Southwest this week, electric vehicle (EV) owners are being advised to adjust recharging habits or risk long-term damage to their cars’ batteries.
According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, “Electric vehicles, great for combating climate change, don’t do well in extreme heat. It’s a paradox being thrown into relief as multiple U.S. states bake under heat waves that are becoming more frequent and more intense.”
While the article does not address commercial motor vehicles, this caution is another reason why it pays to do your due diligence regarding buying an electric CMV.
- Competition grows to charge electric trucks
- Easing Electrification: Lessons from Heavy-Duty Fleet Deployment
- Electric truck recall numbers begin to mount
- Michigan Plans Fast-Charging EV Hub for Trucks on I-96
- Simard Transport begins electrification of its truck fleet
Emissions
- 25 States Send EPA a Letter Opposing Emissions Proposal
- Amazon Says Its Carbon Emissions Fell for First Time
- Bipartisan reps, Senators call on EPA to rethink Phase 3 emissions regs
- ConMet, Penske Logistics making zero-emissions refrigerated deliveries
- EPA’s truck emission standards questioned by Congress members
- Lawmakers ask EPA to reconsider Phase 3 emissions regs
- Penske Pairs Electric Tractor, Zero-Emission Refrigerated Trailer
- Volvo, Westport Team up on Zero-Emissions Engines
Fuel
- Average Diesel Price Unchanged at $3.806 a Gallon
- Average US diesel prices remain flat
- Ballard fuel cells replaced 200 million liters of diesel in 2022
- Benchmark diesel price stands still for 1st time in more than 2 years
- Consumer slowdown hitting CPG results, keeping freight volumes muted
- Depleted US diesel stocks are at lowest level since 2004
- Here’s what you need to know about fuel discounts for truckers
- High Cost of Hydrogen Remains a Drag on Adoption
- Nikola Sells Arizona Hydrogen Production Project to Partner
- ProMiles says national diesel down almost 2 cents
- Ship fuel spreads and LNG prices fall to lowest levels in years
- Thousands of ships could use LNG as fuel. Is that a good thing?
- Trucking Takes Steps Toward Hydrogen Technology
- Volvo Signs Fuel System JV Deal With Canada’s Westport
- Volvo, Westport form JV to advance HPDI fuel systems
- Weekly Fuel Report: July 18, 2023
- Weekly NTI Update: July 17, 2023
- Will cleaner diesel trucks matter in ZEV world?
5. Regarding crashes and fatalities:
Crashes
Please review the articles in this section to see if there is anything you can learn to help prevent a large truck crash.
- Big rig’s lost axle bounces into motorist
- Cans scattered through intersection after motorist slams into beer truck
- Dash cam catches big rig overturning after being run off the road by ‘aggressive’ trucker
- Driver trapped after skidding down embankment
- DWI driver nearly sends rig off Texas overpass
- Mower in critical condition after collision with semi truck
- POLICE: I-80 blocked for crash involving six cars, three semi trucks
- POV: You’re a car sitting helplessly while a train slams into a car hauler
- Second trucker to ever survive a plunge off of the CBBT finally speaks on terrifying ordeal
- This 8 vehicle pileup was the third in the same I-70 construction zone in three days
- Truck driver severely injured in two log truck rear-end crash
- VIDEO: Car turns in front of big rig, causing crash that sends dog flying out of passenger seat
- VIDEO: Semi truck blown over by microburst in Utah
- Wrecked semi truck causes nine hour backup, serious injury
Fatalities
We express our deep sympathy — and offer our condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died in these crashes.
Based on what’s in these articles, is there anything you can learn about how to prevent a fatal large truck crash?
- Concord company fined $125K after pedestrian fatality
- Motorist impaled by load of logs after following too close
- NTSB Probes Deadly Bus Collision with Trucks Parked on Ramp
- Study reveals states with the most distracted driver related fatalities
6. Regarding employment, pay, satisfaction, and securement:
Employment
The subtitle of this article, Thinking about getting into trucking? Now is not the time is:
“One of toughest markets in a long time for independent contractors.”
- Get down to basics to attract drivers
- Lanefinder makes no-risk recruiting a reality for trucking industry
- Truck driving is not ‘unskilled labor’ — more should recognize
Pay
- Labor Department seeking former workers at Arizona auto parts distributor to repay more than $5.6M in back wages
- Weak freight market has had varied impacts on driver wage trends
Satisfaction
Securement
Ensure that you secure your load properly.
- Human waste leaking from tractor-trailer causes crashes on Connecticut highway
- Police nab CMV driver for hauling 1000 pound bags of topsoil without any load securement
- Trucker accused of knowingly spilling human waste on Connecticut interstate, causing multiple crashes
- Truckers Stinking Up Highways, Literally
- Trucking load securement, strap work fails
7. Regarding fines, inspections, and insurance:
Fines
- Canada announces fines for violations of hours of service, ELD regs
- Higher ELD, Hours of Service Fines Coming to Canada
Inspections
If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.
- 6-State Trooper Project focuses on ‘move over’ violations
- Eleven state speeding blitz planned for next week
- Here are 10 tips to help you get ready for August’s CVSA brake inspection blitz
- Self-driving truck maker’s semis can avoid traditional roadside inspections and weigh stations under pilot program
- State police engaged in two regional enforcement efforts this week
- Troopers in six states to team up for enforcement initiative this week
Insurance
8. Regarding infrastructure, legal, and politics:
Infrastructure
- I-81 delays expected as crews work to repair two bridges struck by tractor trailers
- More than 700 Georgia bridges can’t handle heavier trucks allowed by new law, officials say
Legal
- Couple awarded $44M for semi truck crash that left woman paralyzed
- ‘Nuclear’ Lawsuits Against Truckers Continue to Rise
- Nuclear verdict: Indiana couple awarded $44M after big rig rear-ends them in 2016
- US Chamber of Commerce’s new nuclear verdict report says trucking industry ‘under seige’
- Verdict size rises within trucking industry
Politics
- New Jersey Sues Over NYC Congestion Pricing Plan
- New Jersey sues to block New York traffic congestion plan
9. Regarding deliveries, and operations:
Deliveries
One gigantic problem associated with the idea of “free delivery” is that a professional truck driver’s work is not worth much or anything.
There always has to be a way to pay for services rendered.
So, if there is “free shipping,” most likely, the cost of the item being shipped is more expensive than it otherwise might have been, in order to cover the cost.
Just saying.
- Daily Infographic: Delivery options? Free and fast for the win
- Lowe’s partnership with OneRail expands same-day delivery nationwide
Operations
Please make sure that all of your truck driving operations are appropriate, safe, and legal.
- Mastering Reefer Trucking: Essential Tips For Hauling Produce
- Trucking accident critical initial decision points
- VIDEO: Hay truck driver with a very hot load leaves ‘trail of fire’
- WATCH: Driver’s attempted pass on solid line sends car flying off road
10. Regarding parts, safety, side underride guards, and speed limiters:
Parts
- Republicans Highlight Role of Internal Combustion Engines
- What Trucking Fleets Need to Know About Engine Brakes
Safety
- US worker safety agency expands injury reporting for ‘high hazard’ industries, including trucking
- What’s at stake with unsafe practices
Side underride guards
- NHTSA pressured to overhaul rulemaking on side underride guards
- Side underride guard comments due July 20
- Side underride guard mandate ‘premature and shortsighted’
Speed limiters
- Effort to stop speed limiters takes another step
- OOIDA maintains efforts to stop speed limiter rulemaking
- Speed limiter block, under-21 pilot changes included in funding bill
11. Regarding technology and theft:
Technology
Unless AI (Artificial Intelligence) is stopped, I anticipate that over time, more and more of it will be used to “spy” on people and report them if they do something the least bit out-of-line.
- Amazon to Roll Out Palm Payment Technology at Whole Foods
- Amazon, Six Other Companies Commit to AI Safeguards
- ‘Brain trust’ used game to teach workers how to price shipping in ’70s
- FreightTech companies offer groundbreaking tech solutions
- North Carolina troopers are using AI to catch texting truckers
- Reaching the next level of fleet-safety AI
- Silence the new normal while driving?
- State recruits artificial intelligence in fight against distracted driving
- Terminal Industries departs stealth mode with $17M for AI yard operations
- Watch as a trucker is thankful for automatic collision warning for once
Theft
You may wish to consult with your driver manager regarding the best ways to secure your tractor, trailer, and cargo on-board against theft.
- Cargo thefts surge in Q2: CargoNet
- Cops bust major cargo theft ring; recover 28 stolen tractor-trailers
- FMCSA Embarks on New Effort to Catch Fraudulent Movers
- How cargo is targeted for strategic theft, hiring in a down market and FreightTech 100 – WTT
- Oklahoma City warehouse raided, semi truck intercepted, as part of black market marijuana crackdown
- Police arrest 15 in $9.2 million big rig and cargo theft ring
- Police arrest 15 in GTA cargo crime bust, recover goods worth $9.24M
- Transportation among Top 5 industries prone to wage theft, survey shows
12. Regarding awards and recognition:
Awards
We congratulate all professional truck drivers who have been recognized for their skill on the job.
- Family’ Reunion: Swan Qualifies for Sixth Nationals
- These are the folks who took home trophies from Truckers Jamboree
- Trucker Path begins annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Sweepstakes
Recognition
We recognize and express our appreciate to the professional truck drivers who help out their fellow human beings in a time of need.
- Brenny specialized driver honored for helping boy lost in a cemetery
- Indiana State Police thank trucker for his act of kindness towards trooper
- Trucker aids motorist whose pickup and trailer flipped four times
My husband Mike and I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
Return from TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2023.07.22 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
