A Cruise autonomous taxi in San Francisco on Aug. 10. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News) Just before Patti Smith took the stage in San Francisco this month, the emcee thanked sponsors, including robotaxi company Waymo. The audience booed, reflecting the hostility that’s growing in the city for one of tech’s most-watched industries. There was the recent ...more
(Iowa Department of Transportation) Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new funding pipeline to help truckers with $5 million commercial driver license infrastructure grants to get more drivers on the road by helping pay for community college training centers and new equipment. “Here in Iowa, we need to do everything we can to help get ...more
A Wing drone delivery to a home. (Wing via YouTube) Walmart Inc. is planning its longest drone deliveries yet by teaming up with Alphabet Inc.’s Wing unit at two Dallas-area stores. The Wing drones will be able to drop off food and household essentials as far as six miles from the stores, Prathibha Rajashekhar, senior ...more
A truck leaves a Yellow terminal in Kansas City, Mo., in July. (Charlie Riedel/Associated Press) A competition for the 169 terminals owned by Yellow Corp. began as the Nashville, Tenn.-based less-than-truckload carrier’s bankruptcy proceedings unfolded, with analysts expecting more players to take part in an upcoming auction beyond those who already have raised their hands. ...more
Previously drivers as young as 19 could sign up. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News) SAN FRANCISCO — Uber raised the minimum age requirement for most of its new drivers in California to 25 on Aug. 24 under rules the company said are necessary because of the rising costs of commercial auto insurance in the state. The ...more
A Cruise vehicle in San Francisco. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News) Cruise, the taxi company that uses self-driving cars, is preparing to come to Raleigh and may be interested in Durham, N.C., as well. On Aug. 22, the company began “initial testing/data collection” in Raleigh using cars with drivers behind the wheel, according to spokeswoman Anna ...more
Pump jacks in Lovington, N.M. (Charlie Riedel/AP) SANTA FE, N.M. — Record-breaking oil production in New Mexico is likely to provide state government with a new multibillion-dollar surplus during the upcoming budget year, economists for the state announced Aug. 23. Annual state general fund income would increase to $13 billion for the fiscal year that ...more
ATRI has been working to identify strategies for increasing public sector rest stop parking. (Ohio Department of Transportation) Freight stakeholders have many ideas for how to address the trucking industry’s shortage of safe truck parking, but all agree it’s not an easy challenge. “It’s one of these true public policy problems, because you have a ...more
The World War I-era federal excise tax is 12% on new commercial trucks. (Kenworth) When they return to Washington from their August recess, congressional policymakers should begin the process of repealing a tax on the purchase of new trucks, a group of freight stakeholders indicated recently. American Trucking Associations and other members of the collective ...more
Yellow's freight volumes have already started shifting to competitors, with assets expected to follow. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News) The Yellow Corp. shutdown is having a downstream effect on the less-than-truckload space as freight volumes flow toward competitors. YELLOW'S TERMINALS: Analysts expect more bidsThe Nashville, Tenn.-based transportation holding company ceased operations on July 30 after nearly a ...more
