Coalition for Transportation Productivity Asks Congress to Take Closer Look at Truck Size & Weight

This week, The Coalition for Transportation Productivity (CTP) a concern made up of roughly 200 United States-based manufacturers, shippers, carriers, and industry associations called on Congress to take a close look at data recently issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in its “Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Limits Study, ” and focus on reforming Interstate vehicle weight limits for six-axle trucks.

Road work in Kentucky, Arkansas to slow traffic

Officials in Kentucky and Arkansas have warned truckers about two repair jobs that will impact the efficient movement of traffic.

State of Logistics: Truck Drivers Sorely Wanted

The numbers are in, and 2014 was the “best year for the supply chain industry since the Great Recession.” Over the course of the year, the transportation sector grew by 3.6%.

400-Ton Driverless Trucks Headed to Alberta Oil Fields

Canada’s largest oil-company said it will be purchasing driverless trucks, each weighing 400 tons, to work the Alberta oil fields, the Calgary Herald reported.

Long Beach volume returns to pre-recession levels

The Port of Long Beach in May recorded its busiest month since October 2007, indicating that cargo volumes are returning to pre-recession levels and the worst effects of the labor disruptions this past year are over. (This article requires registration at the Journal of Commerce.  To access, please click on the above link.)

US Drivers Take Equivalent of 3,900 Trips to the Sun as Refiners Churn Out Gasoline

Oil supplies are abundant. America’s refiners are running the hardest in 10 years. So why isn’t the country awash in gasoline?

Iraq Set to Flood Oil Market to Further Undercut US Shale

Iraq is taking OPEC’s strategy to defend its share of the global oil market to a new level.

Senate Sends President Two-Month Highway Funding Extension

The Senate on May 23 easily passed a two-month extension of highway funding authority, sending the measure to the president for his signature.

Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ

Americans stepped up their borrowing in March, as the WSJ’s Eric Morath reports, but the question remains whether the consumers who make figure so prominently in the global economy will start buying in big numbers after taking a break from stores in the first quarter. For planners of retail supply chains, a major part of the question is whether those consumers will come back to the stores or get back to buying by going online. Online commerce is far outpacing storefront sales around the world, creating competition for traditional retailers. It’s created new markets, of course, but as Kim Nash describes in the WSJ Logistics Report, it’s also triggering a supply chain upheaval at brick-and-mortar stores. Wal-Mart Inc., WMT -0.58 % Home Depot Inc. HD 0.32 % and others are trying to figure out how to serve that online market even as their own online sales are growing. (This article requires a subscription with The Wall Street Journal.  To access, please click on the above link.)

Annual US trucking revenue tops $700 billion for first time

U.S. trucking companies of all types generated a combined $700.4 billion in revenue last year, fueled by economic growth that led to higher freight demand and higher rates.  (This article requires registration at the Journal of Commerce.  To access, please click on the above link.)