1. Trucker Yellow is suing teamsters union over changes to operations – WSJ
FROM THE ARTICLE: Relations between trucker Yellow and the Teamsters union are growing more rancorous as the two sides negotiate a new multiyear labor agreement.
The trucking company filed a suit against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Tuesday, claiming the union is unjustly blocking a restructuring plan aimed at modernizing Yellow’s operations to better compete in the U.S.’s $58 billion less-than-truckload, or LTL, market.
Yellow said its proposed changes in operations are crucial if it is to survive in an industry dominated by nonunion carriers, particularly given the company’s need to refinance $1.3 billion in debt from loans maturing next year.
2. Trucking company using video game billboards to recruit drivers – THE HILL
FROM THE ARTICLE:
On the roadside, players see billboards just like anyone does on the side of an interstate. But instead of advertisements for a fast food restaurant, upcoming gas station or a lawyer’s firm, the new virtual billboards are recruitment ads for Schneider National.
The virtual advertisements underscore the continuation of a truck driver shortage that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to hurt logistics companies worldwide.
The industry was 80,000 jobs short at its worst in 2021, the American Trucking Association estimated. That has improved some since, but the ripple effects of COVID can still be felt in the industry.
FROM THE ARTICLE: While inflation was a key driver of trucking costs last year, ATRI Research Associate Alex Leslie said it was not the primary driver.
“On an annual basis, consumer inflation was 6.5%, producer inflation was 6.4%, and core inflation about 6%. Setting fuel aside, which was a huge contributor to inflation but was itself closely tied to domestic and geopolitical issues, the cost of trucking rose at about twice that rate, by 12%,” he said. “In several cost centers – which rose at an even greater rate – other factors discussed in the report likely played a bigger role, such as parts availability and supply chain impediments, the atypical truck market/demand and the competitive labor environment.”
4. California strikes deal with engine makers to reach zero-emissions trucking goals by 2036 – SACRAMENTO BEE
FROM THE ARTICLE: The Clean Truck Partnership, as the joint initiative is known, includes some of the country’s largest truck engine manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford, Navistar, Volvo and Daimler, as well as other members of the EMA.
As part of the agreement, the companies promised to uphold their commitment to 100% clean truck sales by 2036, even if the state’s plan faces legal challenges in court.
In exchange, regulators agreed to align California’s rule for nitrogen oxide emissions with the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s 2027 standards, which are less stringent. The EPA’s rule cuts nitrogen oxide emissions in half by 2045.
The air board also said it would modify parts of the state’s 2024 nitrogen oxide emissions goals. Instead, the manufacturers could use offsets to maintain the state’s emissions targets.
5. Trucking, Transportation Sector Sees Substantial Number of Women in Leadership Roles: Study – SUPPY & DEMAND CHAIN EXECUTIVE
FROM THE ARTICLE: The 2023 Women in Trucking (WIT) Index survey found a substantial number of women in leadership roles. In fact, approximately 31.6% of women are in C-Suite/executive positions, 36.9% are in supervisory leadership roles, and 28.4% serve on boards of directors. In addition, the WIT Index found that among the participants 12.1% of all professional drivers are women