After taking multiple hits from the economic downturn, commercial truck dealers are encouraged by several indicators that bode well for the industry. Speaking at the American Truck Dealers annual convention and expo in Phoenix, ATD chairman Kyle Treadway outlined five reasons for the nation’s commercial truck dealers to be optimistic this year. Among those reasons are improvements in Continue Reading

Encouraging signs that the trucking industry is improving are being affected by the rising fuel prices, but it’s not drastic yet, according to research firm FTR Associates. Stronger freight demand and tightening capacity are allowing carriers to nudge shipping rates higher that help compensate for higher fuel costs. Struggling or marginal carriers will be most affected as they try to eke out profit, where more established and larger fleets will feel the sting. But this is also a very different trucking industry than the one that faced a similar oil price spike in 2008, Starks Continue Reading

Think fuel prices are putting a crunch on your bottom line? This may be just the beginning, according to some experts, though the rate of increase is rising a little slower this year than the close of 2010. Demand is growing and will continue to do so, a byproduct of the fact that home heating oil is needed to fight the brutal cold that’s blanketed a large portion of the country. A gallon of diesel has climbed steadily, up to nearly $3.50/gal. at the end of January, some 60 cents more than a year ago. The price has been on a slow and steady climb since reaching a low point of $2/gal. in March 2009. According to Continue Reading

Some relief for the trucking industry may finally be in store when new research is released at the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) meeting next week in Las Vegas. Specifically, the “low cost truck” movement will be discussed by research firm Frost & Sullivan, which it describes as an initiative to build trucks that cost up to 25 percent less. In its study, the firm interviewed OEMs and suppliers from around the world, conducted its own research, and then made near-term projections for the low-cost strategy spanning 2010 to 2016. Lower prices would take some burden off commercial fleets, as they are Continue Reading

Unusually cold weather in Europe and the U.S. Northeast and the expected higher demand for oil pushed the Department of Energy to revised its projected fuel prices in its latest monthly short-term energy outlook. The DOE’s predictions for diesel fuel jumped 17 cents above its forecast last month with the expectation that it will average $3.40 a gallon this year. By 2012, the average will be $3.52, according to the DOE. Gasoline prices are on the rise, as well, and the department’s latest weekly survey indicates that diesel and gasoline–at $3.333 and $3.089 per gallon, respectively–have hit the Continue Reading

For the first time since August 2009, the price of a used Class 8 vehicle eclipsed $40,000, according to ACT Research Co.’s State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks report. That’s because reported sales were up 55 percent in August as compared to the prior year. And coupled with short supply and greater demand, a used truck can fetch an increasingly higher price. Dealers said customers are looking for late-model used vehicles particularly. The news sounds promising, but the numbers may only be telling a small part of the story. According to ACT, only an estimated 10 percent of Continue Reading

Been stuck in traffic lately? If you think it’s bad now, a new report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) says it’s only going to get worse in the next two decades. With 1.8 million more trucks expected to hit the highways in the next 10 years and for every Continue Reading

Pursuit of a low-carbon fuel standard could be better for the environment, but worse for personal finances if it plays out according to a recent study sponsored by the Consumer Energy Alliance, a coalition of fuel users and producers. Initially, projects the study, gas prices would jump to $5 a gallon, then $7.50 five years later. The increase is tied to Continue Reading

Costs for ground transportation for Canadian shippers took a slight hit in March, according to the latest Canadian General Freight Index. Overall, freight costs dropped 2.6 percent that month, erasing the gains from February. Base rates, excluding fuel surcharges, decreased 1.9% with average Continue Reading

Wal-Mart continues its quest to become more eco-friendly, and its latest move is to assume control of its U.S. transportation services from suppliers. According to the mega discount store, by using its private fleet and contractors to transport goods from the manufacturer to Wal-Mart’s distribution centers and on to its stores, such action will help further Continue Reading