- How Training Drives Safety: Turning Culture into Action Behind the Wheel
Building a Culture of Safety Through Training For fleets committed to long-term safety success, culture alone isn’t enough. While a strong culture lays the foundation, it is training that turns values into action on the road. Without clear and consistent training programs, even the best safety culture can be lost in daily operations. Effective training impacts not only new drivers but also experienced ones who need continual reinforcement to maintain safe habits. New Driver Training vs. Ongoing Development Fleet training can be divided into two categories: New driver training: Orientation and onboarding are critical moments to set expectations and immerse drivers in company culture. These sessions should go beyond rules and regulations to emphasize safety values, behaviors, and why they matter to drivers, families, and the public. Ongoing training: For experienced drivers, regular refreshers are necessary to adapt to changing conditions and reinforce safe driving practices.… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.3 days ago - Trucking Carriers Expect Bumpy Ride for Next 18 Months
Market Outlook: More Uncertainty Ahead Executives at the 2025 FTR Transportation Conference in Indianapolis painted a sobering picture for the trucking industry. Despite hopes for recovery after years of freight recession, most analysts and carriers now expect 12 to 18 more months of challenges. Fleet executives say capacity remains stubbornly high while demand is relatively flat. This imbalance has left freight rates sluggish despite steady volumes, creating uncertainty for both carriers and shippers. Werner Enterprises Senior Vice President Matt Parry said, “It’s going to be a bumpy next 12 to 18 months,” though he noted that the 2025 holiday shipping season could provide some temporary relief. Overcapacity and Margins Under Pressure Bay and Bay Transportation CEO Sam Anderson highlighted rising costs, which have grown more than 5% annually over the past three years. While rates have inched upward, they remain insufficient to offset inflation and rising expenses. FTR… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.4 days ago - Industry Data Shows Steady, Subdued Growth in Trucking Wages
Decline in Transportation Job Postings A new report from Indeed Hiring Lab highlights a cooling U.S. transportation labor market in the second quarter of 2025. Job postings across key sectors fell year-over-year: Driving jobs declined 5.8% Loading and stocking jobs dropped 13.6% Logistics support jobs decreased 8.2% Senior economist Daniel Culbertson noted that demand for drivers remains flat in 2025, reflecting low competition among employers. He pointed to economic uncertainty, softer consumer spending, and unresolved trade policies as reasons companies are holding back on new hires and investments. These factors translate to fewer goods in motion and lower transportation activity. Wage Growth Slows Wage trends show mixed results across the transportation sector: Driving wages held steady at 1% growth year-over-year, unchanged since June 2024. Loading and stocking wages slowed to 1.8%, down sharply from 3.9% the year prior. Average wage growth in the U.S. overall… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.5 days ago - A Deadly Crash, a Divided Nation: Why Sikh Truckers Are Now in the Crossfire
A Community Under Scrutiny The Florida Turnpike crash on August 12, which killed three people, has triggered heated debates on immigration and trucking safety in the U.S. But for Sikh truckers, the fallout has been deeply personal. Members of California’s large Sikh trucking community say the tragedy is being manipulated to fuel anti-Sikh rhetoric, leaving many drivers fearful and targeted. The accused driver, Harjinder Singh, faces manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges. While the case remains in court, Sikh truckers say online hate and public hostility have unfairly put their entire community “on trial.” Comments labeling Sikhs as unsafe or unfit drivers have surfaced widely, despite the incident involving a single individual. Sikhs’ Vital Role in Trucking Sikh Americans have long been a backbone of the U.S. trucking industry. The North American Punjabi Truckers Association estimates Sikhs account for 40% of drivers on the West Coast and about 20%… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.6 days ago - Freight Market Showed Hopeful Signs in Q2
Mixed Signals in the Freight Market The U.S. freight industry showed signs of life in the second quarter of 2025, though experts caution that the road to full recovery remains uncertain. According to the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, both shipment volume and spending increased sequentially for the first time in three years. Shipment volume rose 2.4% compared to the first quarter, while spending ticked up 1.2%. Encouragingly, all five U.S. regions reported volume gains, with the Southwest leading at 6.7%. Bobby Holland, director of freight business analytics at U.S. Bank, called the growth “a welcome shift,” but emphasized that ongoing tariff volatility still clouds the outlook. Year-Over-Year Trends Still Weak While quarter-over-quarter improvements suggest stabilization, year-over-year comparisons were less favorable. National shipments dropped 9.8%, and spending declined 4.9%, though these figures marked the smallest annual decline since Q3 2023. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello noted that while… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.7 days ago
TRUCKERS REPORT – Trucks & Trucking | Business & Commerce
