Industry News

Mark Carter, the company’s new chief supply chain officer, previously served in supply chain leadership roles at Schwan and Unilever. Carter is joining Marzetti to continue efforts it has undertaken over the last three years to simplify its supply chain while delivering productivity gains, Ciesinski said. Before joining Marzetti, Carter was EVP and chief supply chain officer for Schwan, leading the frozen food maker’s supply chain across 18 manufacturing sites, per the release.

It sunk to a post-pandemic low of 115.9 in January 2024 before starting to move higher. In June–with the calculation coming right after the month’s end, as it always does–it was up to 170.04, a 13.5% increase in two months. It is an index that is based strictly on employee drivers (though some so-called “1099” drivers are in the mix) and does not include back office or C-suite management.

In a statement to FreightWaves, Fusion Transport said the layoffs are related to the relocation of its Piscataway facility to a new Northeast location. IPS Express Logistics Inc., a transportation and supply chain company based in San Leandro, California, also filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Two companies connected to the cargo trailer market filed for bankruptcy protection July 6.

Capacity constraints and a surge in diesel fuel prices pushed the TL rate-per-mile component of the TD Cowen-AFS Freight Index to a 14-quarter high. The index is expected to increase to a level that is 17.7% above the baseline in the third quarter. A steady drumbeat of contractual rate increases along with higher fuel prices pushed the LTL rate-per-pound component of the index to an all-time high in the second quarter.

The acquisition builds on an existing partnership between the two companies and brings Livestock Network’s load board, truck board, company rating system, discussion forums, classifieds, trucking tools and business directories under the BulkLoads umbrella. BulkLoads said Livestock Network members will gain access to its broader ecosystem of products, including Smart Freight Funding for freight factoring, Bulk Insurance Group, BulkTMS transportation management software and Bulk Freight Insights market intelligence. Livestock Network, founded in 2000, has evolved from a livestock load board into a broader online community serving livestock carriers and shippers, offering freight matching, equipment listings, company ratings, forums and industry directories.

Freight and passenger rail: $87.7 million to modernize America’s railroads and move passengers and goods more efficiently. The grants include $24.3 million for Texas’ Port of Corpus Christi Authority to modernize and lengthen railways at the Port of Corpus Christi Inland Port. The funding also includes $25 million for projects around the new Cleveland Browns football stadium in Brook Park, Ill., for “reconfigured freeway ramps and streamlined local roads [that] will lead to the stadium and the surrounding entertainment district,” according to local media.

Judge Hawley’s decision, at several points, took pains to note that granting the class action request did not signify an acceptance of the drivers’ charges. The initial lawsuit said of drivers at Risinger that they all assigned an independent contractor agreement with Risinger; they operate under the company’s logo and DOT number; get their assignments from a Risinger dispatcher; are “required to make deliveries within set time windows”; and have a set per mile rate for payment. The original lawsuit filed by Contreras was not as specific about the number of categories, but said each of them has at least 40 individuals who could be part of the class action.

All four of the facilities were opened in May. “These investments in new markets and capacity position AAA Cooper to better support our customers’ needs with the consistency of service our customers expect,” Durley said.

General Mills is reimagining its supply chain to achieve profitable growth, COO Dana McNabb said. General Mills plans to overhaul its aging supply chain, COO Dana McNabb said on a July 1 earnings call. The supply chain redesign is critical because the company's current network was built for a lower-volume era, McNabb told investors, noting that the revamp is still in the early stages.