Business

COLUMBUS, Ind. – The North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK report from ACT Research shows an anticipated surge in Class 8 tractor orders coupled with robust, pent-up demand at the year’s end. “In line with expectations, the industry has witnessed a surge of Class 8 orders,” Kenny Veith, ACT president and senior analyst, said. “The resulting growth in order backlogs supports higher production and gives OEMs and suppliers good visibility through (the first part of 2023).” Veith said that with strong demand in place and inflation metrics moderating, he is more convinced that first half build rates will be sustained deeper into 2023. “Supporting the upwards Class 8 revision, we have tempered the severity of the decline we anticipate in freight activity in 2023.” Veith said. “To be clear, we continue to expect a macro recession, and a slight year-over-year decline in Class 8 build, but recent economic reports and still strong Class 8 fundamentals have us thinking in a more encouraging direction.”

AVON, Ohio – Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company marked 15 years of partnership with Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems on Monday, Dec. 5. “Bendix’s partnership with Utility since 2007 is truly an example of what we mean when we say we’re shaping tomorrow’s transportation together,” Nicole Oreskovic, Bendix vice president of sales and marketing, said. “Yes, we’re a manufacturer and supplier, but we have also teamed up with Utility to develop and enhance trailer-specific products that have helped change the commercial vehicle landscape. There’s a sense of pride seeing Bendix-equipped Utility trailers out on the road: They’re a reminder of what’s been possible for the past decade and a half, and an inspiration for what’s to come.” Bendix is a North American developer and manufacturer of active safety and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles. Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company is the industry’s largest manufacturer of refrigerated trailers, as well as the oldest privately owned, family-operated trailer manufacturer in the U.S. Headquartered in City of Industry, California, Utility Trailer designs and builds dry freight vans, flatbeds, refrigerated vans, and curtain-sided trailers at six facilities across North America. “Both our companies have long, respected histories, and in all that time, our relationship with Bendix stands out,” Stephen Bennett, Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company COO and office of the president, said. “Like us, Bendix has an unequaled commitment to helping improve commercial vehicle safety for truck drivers, fleets, and everyone on the road around them. Seeing everyone home safely at the end of a trip is what we’re all about, and everything we’ve worked on with Bendix has been toward that goal.”

SAN DIEGO and LISLE, Ill. —TuSimple and Navistar announced on Monday, Dec. 5, an end to their co-development under the 2020 Joint Development Agreement. The decision to end the development agreement does not preclude the companies from working together in the future, a news release noted. “I decided to return as TuSimple’s CEO to address the challenges ahead and to set us on a path to long term stability,” TuSimple CEO Cheng Lu said. “We have proven our technology works, and I’m committed to addressing the concerns of stakeholders. I firmly believe in this company and its ability to improve the safety and efficiency of the trucking industry through world-class autonomous driving technology,” Navistar Vice President Srinivas Gowda said that Navistar “believes autonomous driving technologies will be a key component of a future transportation and logistics system and is committed to the development of a safe and efficient autonomous driving solution,”

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Averitt Express was recently honored by Coca-Cola’s Parts and Equipment division as its 2022 Supply Chain LTL Carrier of the Year. Coca-Cola presented the award during a special gathering at Averitt’s Dallas service center. “We are humbled to receive this honor from a globally recognized brand such as Coca-Cola,” said Kent Williams, Averitt’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. “Our team strives to deliver quality customer service, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Coca-Cola by providing reliable, first-class transportation solutions.” Averitt handles Coca-Cola’s inbound equipment for its various soda dispensing machines, powering the soft drink maker’s supply chain efforts in the Dallas, San Antonio and Louisville areas. This marks the first time Averitt has earned LTL Carrier of the Year recognition from Coca-Cola.

NASHVILLE — Bridgestone Americas has named Steve Hoeft as president of its Commercial Truck Group, effective immediately. The Commercial Truck Group includes the company’s Truck & Bus Radial (TBR) business. Hoeft has been with Bridgestone since 2017 and previously served as chief operating officer for the Commercial Truck Group, a news release stated. In his new role, “Hoeft will be responsible for setting Bridgestone’s go-to-market strategy for the Bridgestone and Firestone commercial TBR business. Hoeft will also oversee a team that works closely with commercial original equipment manufacturers and fleet customers to deliver products, services and solutions that maximize uptime and make mobility safer, more sustainable and more efficient,” according to the news release. “Steve is an excellent leader and has been an integral part of the Commercial Truck Group leadership team for the last several years,” said Riccardo Cichi, president of Bridgestone’s core tire and chief sales officer. “As we continue our journey to become a world leader in sustainable mobility solutions, the commercial truck group will play a vital role with strategic partnerships and innovative solutions that propel Bridgestone into the future. We look forward to continued success under his leadership.” Hoeft joined Bridgestone in 2017 from Brinks Inc., where he served as senior vice president and general manager of operations and product development. He was responsible for all operations in the U.S. and Canada. Before that, Hoeft spent five years working at Advance Auto Parts in management roles of increasing responsibility. Hoeft holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cleary University and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Hoeft succeeds Chris Ripani, who led the Commercial Truck Group since 2020.

ST. LOUIS — HDA Truck Pride member Truck Supply of South Carolina has announced an expansion into the St. Louis market with their purchase of fellow HDA Truck Pride member Tractor Trailer Supply. The St. Louis location will take on its new name, Truck Supply Company of Missouri, according to a news release. “Not only are we very excited to bring over 60 years of heavy-duty truck parts and exceptional customer service to St. Louis, but we’re also excited to have a knowledgeable and experienced staff,” Edward Neeley, owner of Truck Supply Company of South Carolina and board chairman for HDA Truck Pride, said. “Combining their knowledge of the customer base and St Louis marketplace with our reputation for exceptional focus on servicing the customer’s needs makes this a dynamic win for all of us. We are playing an integral part in ensuring this member location stays within the HDA Truck Pride family as we continue to grow.” Truck Supply Company of South Carolina has four locations across the state of South Carolina, including three locations in Columbia, South Carolina, as well as one in Sumter, South Carolina. “It’s ideal to have an entity stay within the HDA Truck Pride family. In this specific situation, it’s amazing to witness the breath of new life and excitement that Truck Supply has brought to St Louis,” Tina Hubbard, president and CEO of HDA Truck Pride, said. “We look forward to seeing the growth that Truck Supply will bring to their new Missouri location.”

WASHINGTON – The Shippers Coalition is calling on Congress, the White House, railroads and union leaders to act quickly to prevent a rail strike from further damaging an already fragile supply chain. “Our coalition members are already struggling to cope with historically poor and costly freight rail service with no relief in sight,” said Alexis Oberg, Deputy Director of the Shippers Coalition. “The nation’s supply chain is at a breaking point, and it cannot take another disruption from a rail strike. We need all parties to come together and find a solution that prevents a strike from shutting down the economy.” The U.S. House moved urgently to head off the looming nationwide rail strike on Wednesday, passing a bill that would bind companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached in September but rejected by some of the 12 unions involved. The measure passed by a vote of 290-137 and now heads to the Senate. If approved there, it will be signed by President Joe Biden, who urged the Senate to act swiftly. The Shippers Coalition said the impact of a strike on the country’s economy would be $2 billion a day and would reverberate through all sectors to every corner of the United States. The Shippers Coalition represents companies and trade associations in the agriculture, chemical, manufacturing and food and beverage industries, all of which would be impacted by a strike. According to the American Chemistry Council, a member of the Shippers Coalition, a month- long strike would trigger the loss of 700,000 jobs across multiple industries, spike inflation with a four percent increase to the Producer Price Index, and pull almost $160 billion out of the economy. “On behalf of companies throughout the U.S. dairy industry, the International Dairy Foods Association stands with other members of the Shippers Coalition in calling on Congress to step in and negotiate an agreement between rail carriers and their employees that protects our nation’s food and economic security,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “A strike would devastate our nation’s dairy industry, which employs more than 3.3 million Americans and relies on rail carriers to move nutritious, wholesome, and perishable dairy products to destinations throughout the country and to ports for export around the world. Congress must act without delay to prevent our nation’s food supply chain from collapsing.”

ALBANY, N.Y.— Bestpass Inc. has acquired ExpressTruckTax, an e-filing system for truckers, fleet owners and tax preparers for e-filing forms 2290 and 2290 amendments. Bestpass is acquiring ExpressTruckTax from SPAN Enterprises, a news release noted. The acquisition of ExpressTruckTax adds to Bestpass’s service to its more than 15,000 fleets and owner-operators. “We are thrilled to add ExpressTruckTax, the industry’s leading HVUT solution supporting 200,000 customers, to the Bestpass product offering for fleet managers,” Tom Fogarty, Bestpass CEO, said. “Bestpass has been well recognized as the leading toll management solution for trucking fleets and owners, and this is another step to provide more value to our customers. The team at SPAN has built an excellent product, and I am delighted to build HVUT e-filing and payments into our comprehensive mobility payments solution.” Truckers and fleet owners are required to pay Heavy Vehicle Use Tax and file Form 2290 annually with the IRS to remain in good standing. This annual tax is levied on all heavy vehicles weighing 55,000 pounds or more that operate on public highways. For fleets of 25 trucks or more, e-filing Form 2290 is required, but for fleets or owner-operators with less than 25 trucks, the IRS prefers e-filing. With the 2290 e-filing solution from ExpressTruckTax, drivers can file their forms electronically and take advantage of built-in error checks that aim to improve accuracy of filings. “Over the past decade we have grown ExpressTruckTax from an idea to the industry leader for Form 2290 E-Filing. It’s a credit to the passion shown by our talented team over the years,” Agie Sundaram, CEO of SPAN Enterprises, said. “Not only is ExpressTruckTax the market leader, but thanks to my fellow co-founder, Naga Palanisamy, it is also the most secure and technologically superior e-file platform. With Bestpass, ExpressTruckTax will continue to grow and diversify its offerings in a way that benefits our clients and partners.”

LOWELL, Ark. — J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has awarded a total of $55,000 to 55 classrooms throughout the country during the 10th consecutive year of its Adopt-a-Class program. The program is an annual company initiative providing classrooms with resources to obtain learning supplies and additional classroom essentials, a news release stated. “Adopt-a-Class is one of my favorite programs we offer at J.B. Hunt because it enriches education for students all throughout the country, specifically for the families of our drivers,” Craig Harper, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer at J.B. Hunt, said. “Teachers work hard to ensure their students have the resources they need to be successful, and it’s imperative we do our part in giving back to the communities we live in.” J.B. Hunt’s Adopt-a-Class program was founded in 2013 and allows drivers to have a direct impact on giving to the community. Each year, J.B. Hunt drivers nominate their child or grandchild’s classroom — kindergarten through fifth grade — for a chance to receive a school supply donation by submitting an essay. Once recipients are notified, drivers often visit the classrooms to congratulate the teacher and students. William Quintana, a J.B. Hunt Dedicated Contract Services driver, had the honor of delivering to his daughter’s classroom this year at Monitor Elementary School in Springdale, Arkansas. “Contributing to the class is really important because you don’t know how much supplies they get,” Quintana said. “So, contributing to them, it makes me feel happy knowing they’re going to have more things to do during the school year. It gives them more opportunities to do more science work or other activities, that they could have missed out on.” During his visit to Monitor Elementary, Quintana delivered a gift box to the classroom. The delivery included a gift card for classroom supplies, along with J.B. Hunt Adopt-a-Class shirts, hats, foam trucks and activity books for students to enjoy. The students were then able to learn about Quintana’s career as a J.B. Hunt driver and take a tour of his company truck. Angela Moore, a third-grade teacher at Monitor Elementary, said the funds will be valuable to her students’ learning experience. “My kids are getting an opportunity to have those hands-on activities that are so important to them,” Moore said. “Instead of being on a screen, they are doing things hands-on, that are building their brain, and just helping them with decision making and problem-solving skills.” Since the inception of the program, 255 classrooms across the country have been selected for Adopt-a-Class, bringing J.B. Hunt’s total classroom donation to more than $200,000. It resulted from a previous pen-pal-like program the company hosted in which drivers would send postcards to the classrooms describing the places they would visit while traveling for their job. As more local and regional driving opportunities became available, the program evolved to maintain the educational benefits and experience of drivers engaging with students. Chante Gordon, an elementary teacher in North Riverside, Illinois, shared how excited her students were to be selected as a recipient of J.B. Hunt’s Adopt-a-Class program. “I cannot thank J.B. Hunt enough for the generous donation and making today so special for my students,” Gordon said. “They were thrilled to have their own gift bags to open, ask their questions, learn about what a truck driver does, and especially seeing the truck and honking the horn. So many students told me this was the ‘best day ever!’ and are excited to help make decisions about what we will purchase for our classroom. It was truly such a special day and one we will remember.” In October, J.B. Hunt announced it had awarded $250,000 in scholarships to 100 recipients as part of the company’s new scholarship program, the J.B. Hunt Scholarship Program for Families. The company plans to continue the program in 2023, with awards being renewable each year for up to four years as long as the recipient maintains a 2.5 GPA and full-time enrollment.  

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Averitt Express has opened a new facility in the Memphis area. The facility has 260,000 square feet of enclosed space to handle the flow and distribution of domestic and international freight, according to a news release. The facility is within short proximity of the Memphis International Airport, as well as the Memphis area railyard. “The new location will be equipped to handle the growing international shipping needs in the region,” the news release stated. “With its new Memphis facility, Averitt aims to streamline its customers’ supply chain needs throughout the Central and Southeast United States.” The new facility raises the company’s total warehousing space to over 2.5 million square feet of space across more than 40 locations. “We’ve eagerly awaited the opening of our Memphis distribution & fulfillment facility,” Ed Smith, Averitt’s vice president of distribution & fulfillment, said. “It just took the right partnership with the right facility. And once we found that, it created the perfect opportunity. Memphis is one of the largest intermodal markets in the country.”  

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greg Higgins has been named the senior vice president of legal and compliance, general counsel and secretary for Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks. According to a news release, Higgins joined the company in 2012 and has served since 2015 as senior council. Before joining the Volvo Group, Higgins spent 12 years as a member and partner at Nexsen Pruet PLLC in Greensboro. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a juris doctor degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law. Higgins will continue to be based in Greensboro, the news release stated. He succeeds Therence Pickett, who is retiring from the company.

PITTSBURGH — Transport Investments Inc. has changed its name to Bridgeway Connects Inc. Bridgeway has grown to handle over 500,000 loads annually, a news release stated. As part of its growth, Bridgeway has recently added other members to their network “to fuel the drive to be the best specialty transportation and logistics provider in the country,” according to company officials. “Difficult freight is what we love to do…we want people to know that we are growing as a network of businesses working together,” CEO R. Bruce McAdams, said. “We will continue to expand organically and through acquisition while maintaining the level of trust, reliability, and quality that those we work with have come to value and expect.”