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Two of the largest trucking companies in the U.S are merging in a rare consolidation in the fragmented truckload services market. Swift Transportation Co. and Knight Transportation Inc. are announcing a stock swap today that will create a single business called Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. and overhaul the leadership of the operations, according to a…

A top FedEx official called for more federal investment in America’s transportation infrastructure in testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee’s surface transportation subcommittee last week, according to a report in the Commercial Appeal. Mike Ducker, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Freight, advocated expansion of 33-foot tandem trailers and uniform national standards on innovations…

AMES, Iowa – The trucking industry loses billions of dollars and wastes millions of hours each year sitting idle in traffic. Helping drivers avoid congestion would increase productivity and improve safety, says a team of Iowa State University and industry researchers as reported by the Iowa State University News Service. The team has identified a…

Many drivers who have logged extensive road hours as overnight drivers turn to local work for the relief it gives them, according to an article in the Seattle Times. There are about 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States, according to the American Trucking Associations. Not all of them are so-called “long-haul” or “on-the-road”…

For decades, trucking has provided big-rig driver Frank Mora and his family a decent living. He doesn’t expect that will last forever, according to a feature piece in the San Jose Mercury-News. Most major truck manufacturers and several well-funded startups are busy testing automated or driver-free vehicles. Test models of cars that will shoosh passengers…

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is getting serious about alternative fuels. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently announced the creation of 55 routes that will serve as the basis for a national network of “alternative fuel” corridors spanning 35 states. Though the network is nearly 85,000 miles long, more miles will be added in…

Elaine Chao of Kentucky, who was Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush, was named to be the next Transportation Secretary by President-elect Donald Trump, according to a report in USA Today. “Secretary Chao’s extensive record of strong leadership and her expertise are invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a…

China is gearing up to overhaul its road delivery with fleets of self-driving long-haul trucks, according to a piece in technologyreview.com. A number of companies are developing automation technologies that promise to lower costs, reduce accidents, and improve overall efficiency for the trucking industry by allowing drivers to make longer trips that include periods of…

The Trump administration looks to offer the trucking business some badly needed road and infrastructure projects, but the industry will have to pay for the improvements, either through higher fuel taxes or tolls according to an article in trucks.com. That’s the assessment of analysts at FTR Transportation Intelligence, an industry research firm. Trump’s strong commitment…