TT Newsmakers

Many of the country’s leading economists say the U.S. and the global economy faces a possibility of a recession in 2023, with rising interest rates and the war in Ukraine slowing economic growth. Whether the U.S. can avoid a recession or not, what impact will this have on both trucking and the global freight? 

This spring, the White House announced the launch of the FLOW program which is designed to improve supply chain relationships through a data-sharing exchange. With supply chain stakeholders participating in this program, will the government be able to assist in fixing an industry that is largely privately held? 

The standardization of telematics and trailer tracking opened the doors to countless more opportunities for optimization - from tire pressure management and fuel economy, to load sensing and climate controls. The progress made in trailers and safety technology is best told from the perspective of an industry veteran who has become an expert in the field. What challenges - from landing gear issues to a disrupted supply chain - have demanded change and how has the industry responded? On December 7, CEO of Business Accelerants and Transportation Safety Equipment Institute (TSEI) Executive Director Paul Menig joins TT's Dan Ronan to discuss his work with TMC on next gen refrigerated trailers, how retrofitting really works, and his must-have tech list for trailer purchasing. 

For a time XPO made headlines for its number of acquisitions, now XPO is changing its strategy to maximize the efficacy of its respective offerings.

On September 26, Robin Hutcheson was officially confirmed as the new Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. During her time as acting administrator, Hutcheson worked with trucking industry stakeholders to address concerns about the supply chain and workforce development. What are her top priorities as she enters this new role? In this special edition of Newsmakers, FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson joins TT's Eugene Mulero and Dan Ronan to discuss truck parking, automated driving systems, and working with the industry to promote safety.

With the U.S. experiencing a 40-year high on both inflation and fuel prices, the freight transportation industry has much to contend with in addition to persistent supply chain challenges. How much of an impact will state policies like AB 5 have on the industry? Register now to hear ATA President Chris Spear address these concerns and more on Aug. 11.

Understanding trends in highway inspection violations can help you better form your safety strategy. What safety technology trends are the most relevant to those operating commercial vehicles? Register to watch the replay of our interview with CVSA Executive Director Collin Mooney.

While consumer spending and demand remain steady, is there concern that uncertainties abroad pose a risk to the supply chain and our economic future? ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello joins Dan Ronan to discuss the outlook for the industry and for the U.S. economy overall.

The Advanced Clean Truck Rule, which will require manufacturers to increase their zero-emissions truck sales by a growing percentage starting in 2025, has now been adopted by six states. At the same time, Cummins has unveiled a new strategy to reduce the negative impacts of its products as well as collaborate with various industry stakeholders in order to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. With designs to supply Freightliner with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain for the heavy-duty Cascadia model, is hydrogen the first step to a cleaner industry? President and COO of Cummins, Jennifer Rumsey joins TT's Dan Ronan to discuss how the company is changing existing products and developing new ones, collaborating with Trillium to help customers integrate alternative fuel technologies into their fleets, and how important it is to start reducing emissions today.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello estimates that the industry needs at least 80,000 drivers today and more in the future to account for rising freight levels. The Biden administration has made efforts in the past year to encourage more men and women to enter the trucking industry. With the Department of Transportation and Department of Labor working in cooperation with industry stakeholders for paid apprenticeship and training programs, how successful are these efforts? In this special edition of Newsmakers, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joins TT's Eugene Mulero and Dan Ronan to discuss the industry's workforce concerns, changing perceptions of trade professions, and partnering with public and private groups to work toward a common goal.

Reflecting on the passage of the infrastructure bill, which projects will offer the most benefit to the trucking industry and what were some of the missed opportunities? As House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, Rep. Peter DeFazio recognizes the value in investing in commercial transportation improvement projects like port modernization and workforce development. In this special edition of Newsmakers, Rep. Peter DeFazio joins TT's Eugene Mulero and Dan Ronan to discuss how Congress might respond to rising fuel costs, the problem with truck parking, and his decision to retire at the end of this term.

After Utah lowered the legal limit for blood-alcohol concentration in drivers to 0.05, the number of alcohol-related fatalities dropped by about 20% and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now recommending other states follow suit.

Join TT’s Dan Ronan as he interviews ATA President Chris Spear and gets a behind-the-scenes look at how ATA took the industry’s case against the vaccine-or-test mandate all the way to the Supreme Court – and won.

By the end of last year, the long-awaited $1 trillion infrastructure policy bill was signed into law, the holiday season saw the vast majority of packages delivered with minimal delays, and the USDOT announced more than $241 million in grants to domestic ports.

While the pandemic exacerbated weaknesses in the global supply chain, new opportunities for the trucking industry to grow domestically have also been uncovered.

Infrastructure issues exacerbated by the pandemic, like kinks in the global supply chain and port congestion, have caused freight costs and delivery times to soar. Consumer demand may be growing but businesses are struggling to keep up and global economic recovery is being hampered.