Top 10 FleetOwner operations stories of 2024

10. Driver and fuel data reveal the best freight corridors nationwide

The northernmost east-west and westernmost north-south freight corridors are among the most friendly paths for truck drivers, according to 2024 rankings released by a driver-focused app that ties together broker and fleet management solutions with directions and parking information.

Based on parking availability, truck stop ratings, and fuel prices, the ratings highlighted Interstate 90, I-5, and I-44 as the most friendly to drivers. I-90 runs from Seattle to Boston, I-5 extends up and down the West Coast from the Mexican border to Canada, and I-44 runs from northern Texas to St. Louis. Read more…

9. Family ties keep fleet’s trucking operations growing strong

Large and small trucking companies are often family businesses, and Hubbard’s Express Air Freight & Delivery is no exception. The late Todd Hubbard founded the company in 1983 when he was just 21. The fleet is now run by his son Blake, the VP, and his widow Barbara. Blake noted that Todd’s legacy lives on in what they have accomplished since his untimely passing in 2017 at 54.

The air freight company operates adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport—one of the nation’s largest, surpassing 1 million tons of cargo annually in 2022—and handled more than 100,000 shipments in 2023. Since 2018, the carrier has expanded its services tenfold. Read more… 

8. Threat of ‘calamitous’ port strike awaits trucking in January

Overall, trucking did not feel significant impacts of the short-lived October longshoreman strike—spot market rates were barely affected while volume demand merely shifted, thanks in part to the strike’s rapid resolution. “If that strike had gone on, it would have been calamitous,” Dean Croke, principal analyst at DAT Freight & Analytics, told FleetOwner. “You would have seen a fairly rapid exodus of capacity out of the industry, and that would have resulted in rates turning up pretty quickly.”

But the union members and East Coast ports aren’t done with each other yet. The labor agreement between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance now expires on Jan. 15—during the peak winter season right before the Chinese New Year that shippers plan around. The next deadline could renew the parties’ heated dispute, bringing a much more disruptive strike to the U.S. economy. Read more…

7. Chevron deference is gone. What does that mean for trucking?

The Supreme Court in June overruled Chevron deference, a major legal doctrine that articulated federal agencies’ ability to interpret the law. This raises the question of whether agency policies, like some emissions regulations, will still be supported by the judicial system. But is this a big deal for the trucking industry?

“Some have argued it’s not a big deal because courts have been working to interpret statutes to find there is no ambiguity in the first instance (in which case, Chevron did not apply),” Prasad Sharma, partner at Scopelitis and general counsel for the Truckload Carriers Association, told FleetOwner. “They point to the fact that the Supreme Court has not relied on Chevron to decide a case of late.

“However, it’s a longstanding precedent that was largely followed by the lower courts, so it is a big deal. It will shift power from agencies to the judiciary and heighten the importance of Congress legislating with clarity to address issues that arise in the modern world.”

The end of Chevron deference represents a significant shift in interpretive power. With it, courts may now block major agency rulemakings from the EPA, FMCSA, and others. Read more…

6. Independent contractor rules: How did trucking get here?

In just a few years, independent contractor classification became a hairy topic for trucking. The Department of Labor’s approach to the topic prompted sharp criticisms and strong opinions from the industry at large. The American Trucking Associations, for example, is publicly and fiercely critical of the latest rule.

“I can think of nothing more un-American than for the government to extinguish the freedom of individuals to choose work arrangements that suit their needs and fulfill their ambitions,” as ATA’s president and CEO Chris Spear said in a statement. “That freedom of choice has been an enormous source of empowerment for women, minorities, and immigrants pursuing the American Dream.”

What did the Department of Labor do to draw such ire from Spear? It’s complicated. The issue of independent contractor classification has many complex parts, from organization criticisms to interactions between AB5, enforcement, and regulations. The best starting ground for the topic is to ask: Where are we now, and how did we get here? Read more…

5. TFI shopping for big acquisition as it looks to grow LTL operations in ’25

TFI International Inc. is preparing for “something of size” regarding a U.S. acquisition late next year or in early 2026, Alain Bédard, the mega fleet’s chairman, president, and chief executive, told analysts this week.

Speaking to analysts after TFI (No. 7 on the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire) reported its third-quarter results, Bédard said he’s interested in growing the company’s less-than-truckload and logistics business via a sizable transaction on top of the several tuck-in acquisitions TFI makes most years. The company’s last big buy was in late 2023 for specialty transportation firm Daseke Inc., which TFI valued at about $1.1 billion.

The weak freight environment of the past two years, Bédard added, means the market for him as a buyer is positive. Assuming TFI pays down some of its debt in coming quarters as planned, he would entertain a deal of up to $5 billion if he could seal it without having to issue stock. Read more…

4. Thanksgiving turkey transportation: Inside Butterball’s U.S. logistics operations

There are few things more integral to Thanksgiving than the turkey. But most Americans likely don’t consider how these birds make it to grocery stores across the country before the holiday feast. One company prepares months in advance to ensure this Thanksgiving staple’s safe and efficient transportation.

U.S. shoppers have the choice among multiple whole turkey brands for their Thanksgiving feast, but what makes Butterball stand out, according to Dan Bohlman, the company’s director of logistics, is its long-standing reputation. “We’ve been around since the 1950s,” Bohlman said. “That longevity of our brand has built a lot of trust with consumers over generations.” Read more…

3. More ways mixed fleets are turning challenges into solutions

For carriers across North America, successfully meeting different driver training needs begins with the essentials. Common topics include regulatory requirements, distracted driving, trip planning, accident management, and lifestyle issues such as fatigue management and health and wellness, among others.

Additionally, fleets are focusing on training drivers for different vehicle types and for specific operations. Addressing these challenges with targeted training lowers risk and improves safety. FleetOwner spoke with several fleets running medium- and heavy-duty equipment with CDL and non-CDL drivers to see how they approach training. Read more…

2. How to avoid load board and broker challenges

Trucking companies that rely on brokers and load boards might be frustrated with the process. The process of finding a load, connecting with a broker, bidding on a rate, and negotiating for it comes with many challenges, whether it is due to fraud, miscommunication, or a lack of trustworthy relationships. How can those challenges be avoided? 

Most trucking companies are classified as small businesses, according to the American Trucking Associations’ latest trend report: 95.8% of fleets operate 10 or fewer trucks, and 99.7% operate fewer than 100. Larger fleets are often private carriers that ship goods for businesses. 

Ed Stockman, co-founder and CEO of freight booking platform Newtrul, told FleetOwner that after you remove private fleets from the equation, about 80% of the trucking industry is transactional, which makes finding loads a competitive part of the trucking business. Read more…

1. How to optimize your fleet’s middle miles 

Like a precision marching band parading through the streets on New Year’s Day, managing the miles between pickup and delivery is a study in choreography. It requires planning, timing, and, in trucking, a little bit of luck to make it work.

Take, for example, a trip from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Providence, Rhode Island. Google Maps offers three obvious routes, ranging from 348 to 387 miles. Two possible routes cross the George Washington Bridge; one bypasses the GWB but is about 40 miles longer. Estimated travel times in perfect conditions range from 6:12 to 6:54.

Now factor in real-life traffic and time of day, and an eight-hour trip could easily become much longer. How can you plan for that? Read more…