Deep Dive: Page 2

Industry insights from our journalists

  • popularity on social media, like icons, influencer star on social network, hands typing on keyboard as background
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    anyaberkut via Getty Images
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    Driver referrals in the age of social media: A modern twist on recruitment

    Peer engagement demystifies the industry and creates solidarity among truckers, which can make the job more attractive.

    Katie Pyzyk • Nov. 19, 2021
  • Werner truck
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    Retrieved from Werner on July 06, 2021
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    Dedicated business booms for fleets as shippers avoid the pricey spot market

    With capacity tight, companies are considering the benefits of a private fleet. But, as one Werner executive said, operating one is easier said than done.

    Jim Stinson • Oct. 19, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    The rise of LTL: How e-commerce changed the middle mile

    Businesses are shipping smaller quantities of freight more frequently, and it's a pricey business for everyone involved.

    S.L. Fuller • Oct. 6, 2021
  • Burnt down telecom antenna @ Annecy-le-Vieux 5G
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    Retrieved from Flickr user Guilhem Vellut on November 13, 2020
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    What 3G's sunset means for supply chain visibility tech

    Trucking is overwhelmed with cargo, and swapping out devices means pulling trailers off the road.

    Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Sept. 13, 2021
  • An XPO driver with his truck.
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    Courtesy of XPO.

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    From sapling to pure-play LTL: The story of XPO Logistics under Jacobs

    Bradley Jacobs is a relentless numbers man and a serial entrepreneur. And he's one thing neither XPO nor GXO can replace.

    Jim Stinson • July 30, 2021
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    Courtesy of USA Truck
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    Transport execs confront high-stakes decision: remote, office or hybrid work?

    USA Truck's business boomed as employees worked from home during the pandemic. Bringing them back means weighing safety, culture and productivity.

    Shefali Kapadia • June 23, 2021
  • Firefighters set a backfire to protect homes and try to contain the Blue Ridge Fire on October 27, 2020 in Chino Hills, California
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    Photo illustration by Adeline Kon/Trucking Dive; photograph by David McNew via Getty Images
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    More frequent, severe wildfires threaten California's growing logistics network

    Fires can clog and cut off freight arteries, creating choke points for inventory traveling via truck and rail.

    Deborah Abrams Kaplan • June 1, 2021
  • Cargo ships (C) hold shipping containers as other containers sit at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's busiest seaport, on September 18, 2018 in San Pedro, California
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    Photo illustration by Adeline Kon/Trucking Dive; photograph by Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    As storms become more frequent and volatile, some ports plan for the risk — but most do not

    The interconnectedness of ports leave assets such as warehouses, trucking networks and railroads vulnerable to disruptions from climate change and rising sea levels.

    Matt Leonard • June 1, 2021
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Trucking has no fear of a bubble in 2021

    An amalgamation of trucking-market factors has broken the traditional formula for boom and bust.

    Jim Stinson • April 26, 2021
  • A still of COVID-19 vaccine vials from Johnson & Johnson going through production
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    Permission granted by Johnson & Johnson
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    4 tools to fight fraud, cyberattacks in the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain

    Sensors can share in real time if tractor-trailer doors open unexpectedly when transporting vaccines.

    Deborah Abrams Kaplan • April 14, 2021
  • An aerial view of TEU containers stacked at Virginia International Gateway
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    Courtesy of Port of Virginia
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    Congested West Coast ports bring the heat to TL spot rates

    Delayed off the coast of the Golden State are a mix of consumer and industrial needs that are likely to keep capacity tight and truckers busy.

    Jim Stinson • March 31, 2021
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    Pixabay
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    Sleep apnea: A slow killer lurks among OTR truck drivers

    Fatigue management and safety programs are taking root in the freight business, as trucking firms address the issue without federal regulators.

    Jim Stinson • Feb. 25, 2021
  • An Old Dominion Freight Line truck pulls two trailers
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    Courtesy of Old Dominion Freight Line
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    How Old Dominion's service-center strategy drives LTL success

    The trucking firm faces two large obstacles in its growth path: obtaining land near population centers and ensuring freight doesn't gum up the works.

    Jim Stinson • Feb. 18, 2021
  • Mack LR Electric model for Republic Services, by Mack Trucks
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    Courtesy of Mack Trucks
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    Fleets forge ahead on tech, but some bide time on electric refuse trucks

    Companies are weighing imminent investments in customizable technologies, aiming to make operations safer and more efficient while lowering environmental impact.

    Maria Rachal • Feb. 4, 2021
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    The image by James Loesch is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    The gas tax was already broken. The pandemic could end it.

    Oregon's transportation department is leaning on funds from taxes on trucks, as passenger cars stay off roads and cause gas tax revenues to drop.

    Jason Plautz • Nov. 6, 2020
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    jag9889/flickr
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    Truck vs. train: Which has the upper hand as spot rates soar?

    Shippers consider lead times and freight types when selecting over-the-road, rail or intermodal.

    Jim Stinson • Oct. 15, 2020
  • A Werner driver consults her ELD.
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    Courtesy of Werner
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    The driver shortage: A big piece of the tight capacity puzzle

    Retirements, career changes, and delays at licensing bureaus and training schools are clogging up the talent pipeline.

    Jim Stinson • Sept. 11, 2020
  • Roadrunner Freight
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    Courtesy of Roadrunner Freight
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    Back to basics: Roadrunner's full-circle LTL journey

    As the carrier grew, problems festered within. It became clear the company needed to return to its roots.

    Jim Stinson • Sept. 1, 2020
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    Brian Tucker/Trucking Dive
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    Green hydrogen could be the final piece in a zero-emissions future

    Green hydrogen beats renewables plus batteries at fueling heavy transport, serving industry and long duration storage — if it can be delivered affordably.

    Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 19, 2020
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    Danielle Ternes/Trucking Dive
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    Why coronavirus controls freight's fate in 2020

    Transport economists don't expect a volume recovery until the latter half of 2021, and fleets are drawing on lessons learned in past economic disasters.

    Jim Stinson • July 15, 2020
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    The image by Eden, Janine and Jim (2020) is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Trucking, like the nation, examines itself for racial bias

    The industry is rife with the ways of the "good ol' boy" network, and many large fleets are silent on the diversity of their staff and boards. 

    Jim Stinson • June 18, 2020
  • A truck on a road with a graph overlay
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    Michelle Rock/Trucking Dive
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    7 charts show how coronavirus spikes and dips US truck activity

    From panic-buying to closed state economies, the pandemic has taken the trucking industry on a roller coaster ride.

    S.L. Fuller • May 5, 2020
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    Danielle Ternes/Trucking Dive
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    Coronavirus slowdowns and shutdowns: What's next for trucking?

    With COVID-19 cases reaching peak in parts of the U.S., fleet executives turn their attention to post-pandemic demand. 

    Jim Stinson • April 14, 2020
  • Illustration of truck with roadblocks
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    Adeline Kon/Trucking Dive
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    Coronavirus has trucking experts on edge for 2020

    Forecasts for the remainder of the year are mute, as COVID-19 and driver shortages play out.

    Jim Stinson • March 9, 2020
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    Photo by Matthew T Rader on Unsplash
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    Trucking braces for impact as uncertainty surrounds California’s AB5 law

    Though temporarily stayed, the controversial law presents a major shift for supply chains that experts expect to affect trucking capacity and eventually rates should it be fully enforced.

    Matt Leonard and Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 23, 2019