Commerce Express Weekly Road Map:
July 25th, 2023
Keeping you informed on the latest news/insights in our industry.
Commerce Express Blog
Regulatory oversight has 20/20 vision when it comes to its close watch over the trucking industry.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the main vehicle that drives federal implementation and enforcement of applicable standards and rules motor carriers must follow.
Trucking Update
Teamsters at Yellow Corp. Not Going on Strike as of Now
On Sunday, Central States Funds agreed to extend health care benefits for employees at YRC Freight and Holland. Now, Yellow Corp. has 30 days to catch up and pay $50 million for those benefits payments, per Freightwaves, averting a strike for now.
The union’s negotiating committee planned to meet with representatives from Yellow Corp on Sunday to “review the state of the company and the current contract.” A release was issued stating, “the reversal by Central States will keep health care benefits paid and hardworking Teamsters on the job for the time being.”
This comes after Yellow Corp lost a hearing in federal court last Friday, which would have prohibited the Teamsters from a work stoppage.
Nevada Plans to Build Truck Parking Along Northern I-80
In an effort to improve where truckers park while on a northern Nevada freight route on I-80, Nevada plans to build designated truck parking along the Interstate.
I-80 is a crucial trade route that connects Nevada with California, and currently there are no designated packing spaces or lots for truckers driving through.
This new project will include truck parking lots for both the eastbound and westbound directions of travel; 25 parking stalls and 24 stalls respectively.
This project is expected to begin late this summer and go into next year’s construction season.
UPS and Teamsters Scheduled to Resume Talks July 25th
UPDATE: As of 11:25am July 25th, reports came out saying UPS and Teamsters reached a tentative agreement.
Previously, in a joint statement, on July 19th, both UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters stated that negotiations between the two were scheduled to resume Tuesday, July 25th.
Many industry stakeholders are keeping a close eye on the talks and the overall situation.
In past days, reports came out that UPS was training non-union employees to deliver packages, and other contingency plans in case of a strike.
“We have a responsibility as an essential service provider to take steps to ensure we can deliver our customers’ packages, if the Teamsters choose to strike,” UPS said in a statement.
The Teamsters union represents around 340,000 UPS workers and is negotiating with UPS on renewing a contract that expires at the end of July.
Did You Know: Port Laredo Remains at the Top for U.S. Trade
Four months in a row for the Port of Laredo as they remain the number one spot throughout the nation’s international gateways for trade.
Throughout the month of May, Port Laredo recorded a 7.4 percent year-over-year increase in total commerce to a little over $28 billion, per data from the U.S. Census Bureau and reported by Freightwaves.
Some of the top exports from the U.S. through Laredo were auto parts, gasoline and diesel engines.
Additionally, Mexico was again the top U.S. trade partner in May at $68.7 billion, marking five out of the past six months that Mexico was number one.
Rail Update
FRA is Seeking Feedback on Plans for Train Length Data
The Federal Railroad Administration seeks public comments on their plan to ask Class I railroads to submit monthly data on the lengths and weights of trains.
The public comment period goes through September 19th.
The FRA says the extra data is necessary because it would allow them to have more data available to study train lengths, per Freightwaves.
This additional data request comes after the FRA issuing a safety advisory back in April, letting railroads know of the potential complexities that come with operating longer trains.
The monthly data the FRA is seeking includes the total number of trains operated, the total number of cars on those trains and the total trailing tonnage in specified train length categories.
Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending July 15th, 2023
- Total U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week ending July 15th, was 478,153 carloads and intermodal units – down 2.4 percent compared to the same time last year, per AAR.
- U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 252,544 containers and trailers, down 5.3 percent.
- Motor vehicles and parts, non-metallic minerals, and petroleum and petroleum projects all posted increases. While grain, forest products and coal all posted decreases from the same period last year.
- For the first 28 weeks of this year, North American rail volume was down 4.2 percent (18,028,356 carloads and intermodal units) from the same time last year.
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