Posts Tagged ‘moving freight’
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
The trailer trucking industry of America has been waiting for about three years now for the recession to start pulling back and the business of trucking services firms to begin to recover. The problems of unstable fuel prices and low freight volumes have been the main problems in the freight trucking industry during this time, but there certainly could be underlying reasons for the problems in the trucking transport industry that we just haven’t clued into yet. At the moment, many in the freight trucking industry professionals believe that a majority of the trucking firms operating in America have begun to re-evaluate their business operations after the past three years. Does this mean that these companies have decided that the freight trucking industry has changed and it’s not going to be returning to pre-recession levels? It appears that there’s a belief in the trucking industry that this could be a fact and according to many freight trucking industry professionals, many trucking firms have begun to do business with this idea as a fact.
If the trucking industry isn’t going to be returning to the levels of old, this could mean that some trucking firms are going to be making some tough choices in the months ahead, in order to control their costs, and get the company ready for a possible transition to a different freight trucking industry in the future. Does this mean that some workers in the freight trucking industry could be working less in the months ahead? This is certainly the question for the workers in the freight industry that are aware of the current changes in the way trucking firms do business. A question that must have some of them uneasy at the moment and considering the conditions in the freight trucking industry, one could hardly blame them for being a little apprehensive at the moment.
http://fleetowner.com/management/news/tran…-underway-0406/
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trailer trucking, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
The trailer trucking industry of the United States is currently in a transition of sorts from technologies that are carbon based to innovations that emit less carbon and help the trucking transport industry reduce its carbon wheel-print on the roads of North America. In order to help the trucking industry of America make the transition to technologies that emit less carbon or are totally carbon free, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has been spreading around a little money in the form of grants to the manufacturers of light and heavy trucking services units. The money handed out is to help trucking manufacturers develop new technologies to reduce the fuel consumption of these types of trucks, while making sure emission standards stay the same or are better.
This is obvious good news for the trucking industry and light and heavy duty truck manufacturers doing business in America. At present it’s estimated by trucking industry analysts that heavy truck transport accounts for about 20 percent of the current fuel consumed by trucking transport in America, while they only make up a 4 percent of the total amount of transport trucks in use. This means that reducing the amount of fuel consumed by heavy-duty transport trucks is going to mean a much more significant reduction in carbon emissions for the trucking industry of America.
The US Department of Energy has made funding available for nine different projects aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of the heavy and light duty transport trucks operating on the roads of America. The nine different projects delve into areas such as increasing fuel efficiency of Class 8 tractor trailers by as much as 50 percent within 5 years, technologies to reduce idling, and all sorts of amazing combustion innovations.
It will be a few years before the trucking industry gets to take advantage of any developments out of these nine projects, but this is a nice turn down the road to using less fuel for the trucking industry of the United States. This is likely just the first step in a plan that will eventually see America and the world begin to turn to technologies that are totally carbon free as the trucking industry travels further into the century of the environment.
http://fleetowner.com/green/archive/doe-grant-program-0112/
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trailer trucking, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
The increase in air freight carrier movements to Hong Kong in the last month or so has many in the freight industry thinking that the recession could be starting to recede and the world economy starting to pick up speed. The truth of this belief is of course the question and one that will be keeping many people in Asia up at night. The volume of air freight being taken to destination by air freight carriers traveling to Hong Kong did increase last month and it has continued to go up according to sources. Does this mean that the recession is starting to lessen? This is a good question, but one that we don’t really appear to have the answers for yet. The only thing we really can say is that there are more customers that want to move air freight to and from Hong Kong.
The fact that air freight volumes have been going steadily up in Hong Kong is of course probably not a surprise to many, since Hong Kong is part of China. China has been spending huge amounts on increasing their air freight carrier industry of late and this is certainly going to have had an effect upon the volume of air freight traveling through Hong Kong.
According to the belief of many in the industry the long term prospects for air freight business to continue to grow in Hong Kong and the surrounding regions is also excellent and many in the industry expect to see the demand for air freight services to continue to rise. Hopefully, these forecasts are correct and at the same time air freight traffic in the other regions around the world starts to increase as well.
http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/ind…20017766618.htm
Tags: freight, freight carrier, freight carriers, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Trailer trucking firms that are planning on investing in the future with the purchase of new units with Cummins Engines will be happy to hear that the US Department of Energy (DOE) is going to fund two projects at Cummins Engines to help build a greener generation of Cummins Engines. This means Cummins Engines could be putting out a few engines in trucking transports in a few years that could be a leader in green technology for Class 8 tractors, which is being called a SuperTruck by the OEM. The SuperTruck as it’s called will implement both a highly efficient and clean diesel engine and an advanced waste heat recovery system, paired with a Peterbilt tractor trailer combination, plus a fuel cell auxiliary power unit to reduce engine idling.
This is great news for the trailer trucking industry of North America and the world. The next generation of Peterbilt Class 8 tractors could be running an engine that’s regarded as one of the best in the business for helping reduce a trucking firm’s carbon-wheel print. Only the first step down the road to maybe one day not using carbon based fuels at all in the trucking industry, but a good first step for Cummins Engines. The question in the end for truckers will be just how efficient and useful will any new engines be for reducing carbon emissions, while still allowing the business of trucking freight to grow and prosper in the future.
Cummins would like to improve the mileage of the new engine by about 40 percent through this initiative in partnership with the US Department of Energy and hopefully go far beyond the current 2010 EPA emissions requirements for new diesel transport trucks.
http://fleetowner.com/green/archive/cummin…-projects-0111/
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trailer trucking, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport, trucking transports
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
There’s a battle brewing between the trailer trucking industry and the US Senate bill that would change the landscape for trucking services in America and maybe erase all of the work and experience that the freight trucking industry has gained through its relationship with the Department of Transportation. Owner operator trucking professionals have joined the battle to oppose the bill as well and it appears that plans to hand over the job of determining future fuel economy regulations for medium and heavy duty trucks to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Will we see more parties in this affair come on board as opposed to the idea of transferring authority for determining fuel economy regulations to the EPA? This is certainly possible considering the problems that many in the freight trucking industry think this idea could cause for American’s trucking industry in the future. Many think that the timing of this move is terrible and that making a change at this time could increase fuel costs for trucking firms during a time when they need it least. The truth of this belief is of course going to be in doubt for many in government and even around other sectors of the worldwide freight industry, but this could certainly become reality if the transfer isn’t quite as seamless as they hope.
The government hasn’t really been forthcoming with any reason why they want to make the change at this time, but they must have a reason, and hopefully the reasons they have turns out to be correct and the parties that oppose this idea wrong. The plans of the government to transfer authority to the EPA hasn’t been completed as yet, so if enough opposition comes on board, the government might decide to take another look at this idea, before heading forward with the idea. Concerned parties might be well-served to see if they can contact somebody in government to let them know there are also concerned about the possible transfer of authority to the EPA. The government needs to hear from everybody that thinks this idea is probably not a good idea at the present moment, if we want them to take another look.
http://fleetowner.com/regulations/oppositi…l-economy-0412/
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Diesel prices hit their highest point since November of 2008 last week, as the average price nationwide rose to $2.90/gallon. That’s mostly bad news for freight carriers, who have to try to pass those higher costs on to suppliers or see their profits diminish. It’s hard to tell what is “normal” in the fuel market given the volatile nature of fuel prices in the last two years, but things are returning to pre-financial-meltdown levels.
That increase is a measure of economic activity driving fuel prices higher; container shipping traffic is forecasted to grow during 2010. The added amount of container trucking will add to the demand for diesel as we go forward.
Trucking logistics firms will need to look at fuel-saving alternatives in this high-diesel-price environment. Intermodal transport becomes more of a factor, especially if the railroads in an area are electric; they will both be less affected by the increased price of diesel and used what gas they do use more efficiently. Since most ships run on diesel, moving things onto the seas isn’t a huge advantage, although shipping is more fuel-efficient, albeit slower.
If the increase in diesel is deemed to be normal and we’re going to be stuck with these prices, alternative fuels are going to get a big push. Biodiesel will get a long look as a fuel additive at $3/gallon levels, and electric trucks might get more of a push; range is a factor, but if you can make a Porsche muscle-car electric, you’ll have a shot at making a interstate transport truck electric as well.
Sources: http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-deta…_category_id=42
http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/201…entinMarch.aspx
Tags: container shipping, container trucking, freight, freight carriers, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
The trucking transport industry of Europe has been a cut throat business during the past twenty months what with truckers from all over continental Europe competing for contracts. Then European Union does have laws in place to keep a handle on the chaos, specifically the Combined Transport Directive (CTD), but trucking freight carriers that need to find business in order to survive are always finding ways to skirt around the laws in place to govern the business of freight in Europe. A trailer trucking business can start to go south quickly if the freight business they need to keep the doors open decides to go with another trucking firm. Trucking firms often need to go the extra mile in order to find the contracts they need in order to keep the doors open and they’ll often drive along the edge of the rules in order to achieve their goals.
Danish and Spanish trucking firms aren’t licensed to work in the United Kingdom, yet recently there have been trucking contracts awarded to firms from these two countries that has been raising a few eyebrows and hackles of trucking firms and owner operator trucking in the United Kingdom. Apparently, they have discovered a hole in the laws that govern trucking services in Europe that normally requires a trucking firm to have an operators’ license, or be conducting freight business under the European cabotage regulations for trucking firms registered outside the United Kingdom.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has been making noises about truckers from outside the United Kingdom encroaching on the trucking business of firms that have paid to operate trucking services within the United Kingdom. This is understandable, since they thought they were paying for the right to bid on contracts within the United Kingdom when they paid for their license. In addition trucking firms that operate within the United Kingdom do so within a very strict set of laws and regulations designed to keep people and freight safe in the United Kingdom. They also have the experience and equipment that’s been gained working under the rules and regulations in place and this could have a significant effect on the safety level of the freight movements in doubt.
The ability of trucking firms that haven’t paid for the right to still be awarded these contracts is unfortunate and it will take time to plug the hole in the laws. Under the current laws a trucking firm from outside the United Kingdom can operate within another country of the European Union as long as any sea journey involved travels from one member state to another. The freight movements in question also has to be one of at least 100 kilometres and the last past of the road movement of the freight must be within a 150 kilometre distance of the original point of destination. If the freight movements in question fall within these criteria the trucks in question can operate in the United Kingdom as long as they wish.
Any action designed to plug the hole in the trucking laws of Europe isn’t likely to appear tomorrow or even the next day. They’ll talk about the problem a bit and if they think something should be done about the problem, they’ll stick some kind of patch on the hole. This doesn’t mean that trucking firms won’t find another way around the new plug, but then they’re in a battle of sorts to keep the trucking rolling and the money flowing.
http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/ind…tid=20017756037
Tags: freight, freight carriers, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
There could be probably 399 disappointed owner operator trucking professionals making plans to apply for the Slice of Life program again, next year, after it was recently announced that Freightliner Trucks had made their choice of the trailer trucking driver who is the winner of the Slice of Life 2: Reloaded for 2010 program. Gina Angsten is the lucky lady who was selected by Freightliner Trucks to get a feeling for the Slice of Life that a brand new Freightliner Cascadia can provide. Gina will take part in the program that will see her blog about her trucking life on the Slice of Trucker Life website, while taking a new Freightliner Cascadia out on the road with her. This lucky lady had to fight her way through 399 other applicants and was selected after a long and torturous process, so she must be a trucker for the history books.
Gina’s new Cascadia will be carrying the 2010 Detroit Diesel DD15 engine that has been equipped with BlueTec SCR Emissions technology and Detroit Diesel’s exclusive 1-Box configuration. She apparently was lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a new Cascadia at the Mid-America Truck Show awhile back and was impressed. She must have been really surprised to have been selected and will soon get to meet the three previous owner operator trucking professionals that were selected in the first season of Freightliner Trucks Slice of Life program. She must be excited thinking about the year ahead of her and how the new Freightliner Cascadia is going to change her trucking life in the months ahead. Good luck to you lady!
http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/inside-f…ail.aspx?id=986
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, owner operator trucking, shipping freight, trailer trucking, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Have you decided to purchase a new Freightliner or Western Star trailer trucking unit equipped with a Detroit Diesel engine that has a BlueTec Emission System? Are you worried about trying to figure out how best to benefit from the new technology that has been designed into your new trucking transport to best improve the level of trucking services you provide? Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) has recently made an announcement that will make you rest a little easier tonight as the trucking industries first real-time remote diagnostic system will be a standard feature with all new 2011 Freightliner & Western Star trucks.
A virtual technician on call the Virtual Technician (SM) (VT) the new system is designed to help put trucking companies back in the driver’s seat after they purchase new Freightliner and Western Star trucks with the newest technology to help make the transition to greener technologies. Customers will apparently receive reports on each truck with the new systems directly from Detroit Diesel’s Customer Support Center, which if it works as predicted should provide a real-time way for trucking firms to maximize aspects of their transport business.
This is great news for trucking firms that were planning on making an investment in new Freightliner or Western Star trucks in the future and it should help them transition easier to using the new technologies as designed. We will of course have to wait for the reviews of the Virtual Technician system to see if it is as useful for truckers and trucking firms as hoped. Still, Daimler Trucks North America, Freightliner and Western Star appear to be finding ways to help the trucking industry understand the newest technologies they implement in their trucks. Hopefully, the other truck manufacturers in the world get to work creating their own plans to help truckers and the trucking industry understand the technological changes they have planned for their trucks in the future.
http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/inside-f…ail.aspx?id=988
Tags: freight, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trailer trucking, trucking companies, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
Sales are still not good for new truck dealers, and that’s continued good news for freight carriers who are interested in expanding their fleet. Class 8 truck sales were up in February by 20% over January; that’s good news, but given the lame numbers from January, that’s a left-handed complement on a par with “He runs well for a catcher.”
Measured year-to-year, new truck sales were down a roughly a quarter from February 2009 (7628 versus 10,064); that’s not good news when you note that a year ago was in the teeth of the recession and lenders were shaking in their boots after overextending credit in the years leading into the Black September meltdown of 2008. A shaky recovery has started since then and lenders are not quite reaching for the Depends like they were last winter.
However, the used truck market is in a buyer’s market given the amount of bankruptcies in the trucking transport industry. New emission standards for 2010 have also raised the prices of new trucks, so a combination of higher prices and a glut of good used-truck substitutes have driven the demand for new trucks down.
The good news for trucking service firms is that it’s going to be easier to get good used trucks, lowering your cost of replacing trucks or expanding your fleet. New truck dealers might be looking to drop prices in order to start moving inventory as well. The bad news is that your competitors or new entrants can buy those trucks cheap as well, leading to continued downward pressure on freight rates.
Source: http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/201…hlyaverage.aspx
Tags: freight, freight carriers, freight forwarders, freight moving, freight rates, freight shipping, freight transport, heavy haul, moving freight, shipping freight, trucking companies, trucking service, trucking services, Trucking transport
Posted in Auto Industry News, Freight Industry News, Momentum Freight, Momentum Freight News, Shipping News, freight shipping | No Comments »