Selected COVID-19 and trucking industry news that may impact your business.
As of April 27, 2020:
Volumes stagnant, now 8% below year-ago levels
FreightWaves
National freight volume movement has nearly come to a halt over the past week. The outbound tender volume index (OTVI) has been flat for more than 10 days within the 8,500-8,700 range. The current freight volume is at a level that would be typical for a national holiday like Independence Day or Labor Day. The current OTVI reading is the lowest of any non-holiday value in its three-year history. Read More
How carriers respond to COVID-19 matters for drivers
FleetOwner
Truck drivers continue to cite concerns about pay and support during the pandemic. “Drivers will remember how their companies responded during this time, and they will always remember how they felt during this pandemic,” according to WorkHound. Read More
Fleets go digital to hire, train drivers remotely during coronavirus
CCJ
In mid-March, transportation companies in North America had to adjust quickly to shelter-in-place rules by governments to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Being able to remotely hire and onboard drivers became a critical need, along with finding ways to be more efficient in a tough economy. Read More
The first quarter could have been worse for many carriers without the pandemic
FreightWaves
A few 1Q earnings reports for publicly traded carriers came out over the past two weeks with most of them reporting reduced profitability. Mega carrier Knight-Swift was an exception to this reporting lower truckload revenue and a slightly improved operating ratio. J.B. Hunt and Heartland both reported higher operating ratios (lower profit margin) for their truckload segments on increased revenue. Buried in all the concern over COVID-19 is the fact carrier numbers were probably going to look much worse without the surging demand resulting from the outbreak. Read More
Hotel chain offers discount, meals for truck drivers during COVID-19
FreightWaves
Drury Hotels is offering rooms at its 150 locations for $59 in the U.S., including two grab-and-go meals for truck drivers through June. All but nine sites offer truck parking. Read More
Truck dealers offer disinfecting services
CCJ
Some heavy-duty truck dealers are disinfecting truck cabs to help in the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Read More
Women-owned trucking gets more access to new $320 billion PPP
FreightWaves
President Donald Trump signed into law on Friday an additional $320 billion to refill the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that includes $60 billion set aside for smaller banks that lawmakers say gives women-owned businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic a better chance at securing funds. Read More
Prime Donates $700,000 for New COVID-19 Unit
HDT Truckinginfo
Prime Inc. recently donated $700,000 to help fund a new COVID-19 unit for Missouri-based CoxHealth. The donation covered all the construction costs associated with the project. Read More
Manufacturing Plants Reopen After COVID-19 Closures
HDT Truckinginfo
After being closed for close to a month, U.S. manufacturing plants for Daimler Trucks North America, Yokohama Corporation of North America, and Cooper Tire & Rubber Company have either restarted production or are in the process of restarting their assembly lines, with Detroit’s Big Three still in limbo. Read More
Q&A: Transport economist on pandemic pain, lasting fallout
American Shipper
The coronavirus is severely disrupting container shipping and global supply chains in 2020, but that’s just the beginning. The pandemic is laying the foundation for permanent changes to the business of international trade. Read More
COVID-19 strains supply chains, last-mile delivery operations
FleetOwner
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly strained supply chains and last-mile delivery. It also has pushed many retailers and consumer businesses into home delivery, even those who weren’t necessarily serving that space before. Read More
This super trucker’s advice on wearing a mask is the chuckle you need today
CDL Life
If you’re a little tired of all of the Coronavirus gloom and doom, check out this funny “Billy Bigrigger” video on how to properly wear a mask. Read More