Plus: A historic rail merger is officially on the books, a deadly Charlotte crash reignites underride guard concerns, South Korea angles to sidestep U.S. tariffs with a shipbuilding deal, and more in today's newsletter.
Union Pacific’s $85 billion Norfolk Southern merger and Hub Group’s $51.8 million Marten Intermodal deal signal major shifts in U.S. freight, raising questions on competition, costs, and capacity.
Six people died in a Charlotte underride crash, highlighting the severe dangers of cars sliding under tractor trailers.
The company aims to outsource broker-facing and internal support roles to offices in Asia while carrier-facing support is centralized in Texas.
Truckstop, one of the top U.S. load boards, is making big changes. After news of layoffs of an unknown number of North American staff over the last year, Truckstop now looks to outsource customer service roles to Firstsource, a partner company with locations in India and the Philippines. Here’s what you need to know:
CEO Kendra Tucker insists these changes will benefit customers.
"Growth requires continuous improvement," she says.
The plan includes:
Tucker emphasizes that the restructuring will enhance efficiency and service quality.
"The partnership brings us closer to the customer, geographically," she states.
While some insiders worry, Tucker assures close management of the outsourced teams.
Truckstop isn’t alone. Other freight logistics companies like C.H. Robinson, Coyote, and Uber Freight have also cut staff. These moves reflect a broader industry trend towards tech-driven cost reduction.
Fraud prevention remains a key concern. Despite some roles moving overseas, Tucker stresses,
"We’re investing in tech to match freight and root out fraud."
The aim is to reduce wait times and improve service through enhanced automation.
Mixed reactions from customers highlight the challenge. One carrier noted,
"They care about fraud but need the right people to make it happen."
While there is some support in the US, the bulk of the true support will be overseas. It is highly understandable why some consumers can be skeptical that their needs will be tended to efficiently and effectively.
With the rumor of more layoffs coming from Truckstop soon,
there is no telling what new adjustments will be made next, and what impact they could have for Truckstop, and also other companies that are in the process of restructuring and may adopt a similar strategy.
Source: OverDrive Online | LinkedIn
TIA warns that a proposed rate transparency rule would hurt small brokers, raise consumer prices, and jeopardize competitive freight markets.
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