Plus: autonomous trucking just raised $113M, California is fighting to keep 20,000 drivers, Arrive's 2026 truckload freight forecast, and more.
Two bills just dropped in the Senate that could reshape trucking faster than anything since deregulation. Plus: Russian hackers targeted your load board, flatbed rejection rates just hit 40%, and a robot is taking the Houston-Dallas overnight run.
This week: The Dalilah Law, a trucking bankruptcy that wiped out thousands overnight, a FreightGuard civil war on Reddit, and the payroll data that's predicting Q4 capacity.
After a $355 million fraud ruling against former President Donald Trump, a group of truck drivers has called for a boycott against driving to New York City.
Happy Presidents Day. Coincidentally, today's main freight story highlights a former President of the United States and a hot topic on X (formerly known as Twitter). Truckers and others went to social media to protest after a NYC court ruled that former President Donald Trump must pay $355M. See what unfolded on social media this weekend by scrolling to our main story.
🤔 Question of the Day: Which US President signed the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, paving the way for trucking industry deregulation and freight brokerage growth? Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the answer.
In today's email:
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*Greenscreens.ai, forecasts real-time truckload buy prices that are suited to each freight brokerage's purchasing power using AI and machine learning. Its engine takes into account over 130 attributes and data points in each rate forecast.
🐔 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
🌝 California Ports See January Highs Ahead of Lunar New Year. As the Lunar New Year shifts, LA and Long Beach Ports ride a wave of cargo traffic, outpacing East Coast rivals with a 40% surge in bookings. LA port nearly broke its own record with 855,652 container units, an 18% jump from last year. Long Beach wasn't far behind, handling 674,015 containers, up 17.5%. With freight rates to the West Coast quadrupling to nearly $5,000, timing is everything as importers race against China's holiday shutdowns. The quickened shift back to the West is also fueled by tensions in the Red Sea and a drought in the Panama Canal.
🚚 Universal Logistics Expects a Rise In Freight Volumes Later In the Year. Universal Logistics surpassed Q4 expectations, outperforming despite lower revenues in key areas like the 23% drop in brokerage services to $58.1M. The company managed to beat total revenue estimates of $377.3M, hitting $390.9M for the quarter. CEO Tim Phillips remains cautious about 2024 yet optimistic about a second-half recovery. With plans to invest $480-$500M in 2024, including a significant expansion in Roanoke, VA.
🧯 Hauling Drug-Filled Fire Extinguishers. Operation "Smoke Jumpers" uncovers a drug trafficking ring after a two-year investigation. Allegedly, Carin Trucking, based in San Diego, was using their fleet of six semi-trucks to haul fire extinguishers concealing drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border. This operation led to the seizure of vast quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and meth, culminating in nine arrests, with seven suspects still at large as of February 15.
TOGETHER WITH TRUCKER TOOLS
Join Trucker Tools CEO, Kary Jablonski, and Journey’s CEO and Founder, Will Jenkins, for their TIA-hosted webinar "Trucker Tools’ 2024 Freight Outlook with Will Jenkins" on Wednesday, February 21st at noon EST.
They will set the stage by recapping the market in 2023 and how it is shaping the 2024 freight trends. Sign up today to gain actionable tips on navigating today’s freight market and how to best prepare your brokerage for success in the year ahead.
After a $355 million fraud ruling against former President Donald Trump, a group of truck drivers has called for a boycott against driving to New York City. The civil fraud ruling by New York Judge Arthur Engoron not only fined Trump but also barred him from operating his business in the state for three years.
Rallying Cry: "Chicago Ray" leads the charge, urging truckers to steer clear of NYC deliveries as a stand against the fraud ruling.
In Ray's video, which has been removed, he states, "I’ve been on the radio talking to drivers for about the last hour… and I’ve talked to at least ten drivers… And they’re going to start refusing loads to New York City starting on Monday."
Alex Mai, Host and Founder of Mutha Trucker, offers a sobering take on all the boycott buzz in a brief video–summing up that it is overall a non-story.
"Regardless of politics, New York City will be fine," Mai says. "The rates in America for truck drivers are in the sewers...owner-operators are not making money. If truckers don't go into New York City, rates will skyrocket...and [other] truck drivers will take it."
Reality Check: Dominick Tullo calls out the "boycott" as fake news, attributing the delivery dip to Presidents’ Day port closures.
Capitalizing on the Controversy:
Media Mayhem:
Anyway, as one user reminds us, NYC began the bans first with its policy against 53-foot trailers picking up or delivering in any of the boroughs of NYC.
Still, Ray's original video and call to action made enough noise to reach Donald Trump himself, where he praised the protestors on his platform Truth Social.
TOGETHER WITH TURVO
If you're still running your logistics business on spreadsheets or using outdated transportation management software, this year will be harder than it has to be.
The world has changed, and today's fastest-growing 3PLs and freight brokers are leveraging digital tools to accelerate shipment planning, execution, and settlement. Share a modern TMS with slick screens and collaboration functions that eliminate back-and-forth check calls. Bring together everyone involved in a shipment for 100% visibility and a better customer experience.
Ask for a Demo to learn how Turvo customers achieve a 95% reduction in manual steps per shipment, 3X more revenue per broker, and 5X more shipments per client than the norm.
AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
📉 Finding the Bottom. The Cass Freight Index reports a continued decline in freight shipments and expenditures in January, down 3.5% from December and 7.6% YoY.
🚚FedEx Fraud Conviction. Utah trucking group owners were convicted of a decade-long FedEx Ground fraud scheme, defrauding over $108 million.
♻️ Alternative Transport. A groundbreaking hydrogen-powered cargo vessel, the H2 Barge 2, aims to slash carbon emissions by 3,000 tons annually. Meanwhile, Pyka's first electric autonomous cargo plane with up to a 200-mile range was delivered to the U.S. Air Force.
🔄 Supply Chain Automation. C.H. Robinson introduces touchless appointments, leveraging AI for optimal scheduling and streamlining freight processes.
📑 Lease Scrutiny. The FMCSA seeks lease agreements from truck drivers to identify predatory practices in a push to protect drivers and ensure fair leasing terms.
FREIGHT MEME OF THE DAY
Also, check out:
Answer: Jimmy Carter
Plus: autonomous trucking just raised $113M, California is fighting to keep 20,000 drivers, Arrive's 2026 truckload freight forecast, and more.
Two bills just dropped in the Senate that could reshape trucking faster than anything since deregulation. Plus: Russian hackers targeted your load board, flatbed rejection rates just hit 40%, and a robot is taking the Houston-Dallas overnight run.
This week: The Dalilah Law, a trucking bankruptcy that wiped out thousands overnight, a FreightGuard civil war on Reddit, and the payroll data that's predicting Q4 capacity.
Indiana pulled the trigger on carriers employing illegal CDL holders. Plus: tariff ruling could flood LA with imports, DC finally moves on double brokers, spot rates are outrunning contract, and more.
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