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The EPA's SmartWay voluntary emissions-reduction program has awarded YRC Worldwide Inc. its highest ranking for the fifth consecutive year. YRC was recognized for its fuel efficiency and environmentally sustainable operations. ... Landstar System has purchased two Michigan-based supply chain transportation firms that focus on transportation technology systems. The two firms are Detroit-based Premier Logistics, which provides freight management services through its Web-based software, and Ann Arborbased A3 Integration, which offers Web-based transportation and supply chain management technologies. …Maersk Group is merging three of its subsidiaries into a single company that will operate under the Damco brand. The subsidiaries are Maersk Logistics (the company's supply chain management division), Maersk Customs Services (its custom brokerage arm), and the current Damco freight forwarding unit. ... Chicago-based Echo Global Logistics, a transportation management outsourcing company, has acquired Raytrans Distribution Services, a transportation brokerage firm based in Matteson, Ill. ... The Port of Virginia will be the first U.S. East Coast port of call for a reconfigured service that connects the Caribbean with the eastern United States. The service will be operated by French steamship line CMA CGM. ... DHL is launching weekly direct less-than-containerload (LCL) service from Tokyo and Yokohama to Chicago. DHL says the new guaranteed service will reduce transit times by at least three days compared to current offerings. …Sick USA, a manufacturer of controls, sensors, and safety systems, has published Guidelines for Safe Machinery – Six Steps to a Safe Machine. The 116-page illustrated guide, which also provides a brief outline of North American laws, regulations, and standards, can be downloaded for free at www.sickusa.com.

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Trucking industry experiences record-high congestion costs

Trucking industry experiences record-high congestion costs

Congestion on U.S. highways is costing the trucking industry big, according to research from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), released today.

The group found that traffic congestion on U.S. highways added $108.8 billion in costs to the trucking industry in 2022, a record high. The information comes from ATRI’s Cost of Congestion study, which is part of the organization’s ongoing highway performance measurement research.

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From pingpong diplomacy to supply chain diplomacy?

There’s a photo from 1971 that John Kent, professor of supply chain management at the University of Arkansas, likes to show. It’s of a shaggy-haired 18-year-old named Glenn Cowan grinning at three-time world table tennis champion Zhuang Zedong, while holding a silk tapestry Zhuang had just given him. Cowan was a member of the U.S. table tennis team who participated in the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships in Nagoya, Japan. Story has it that one morning, he overslept and missed his bus to the tournament and had to hitch a ride with the Chinese national team and met and connected with Zhuang.

Cowan and Zhuang’s interaction led to an invitation for the U.S. team to visit China. At the time, the two countries were just beginning to emerge from a 20-year period of decidedly frosty relations, strict travel bans, and trade restrictions. The highly publicized trip signaled a willingness on both sides to renew relations and launched the term “pingpong diplomacy.”

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forklift driving through warehouse

Hyster-Yale to expand domestic manufacturing

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling today announced its plans to fulfill the domestic manufacturing requirements of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act for certain portions of its lineup of forklift trucks and container handling equipment.

That means the Greenville, North Carolina-based company now plans to expand its existing American manufacturing with a targeted set of high-capacity models, including electric options, that align with the needs of infrastructure projects subject to BABA requirements. The company’s plans include determining the optimal production location in the United States, strategically expanding sourcing agreements to meet local material requirements, and further developing electric power options for high-capacity equipment.

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map of truck routes in US

California moves a step closer to requiring EV sales only by 2035

Federal regulators today gave California a green light to tackle the remaining steps to finalize its plan to gradually shift new car sales in the state by 2035 to only zero-emissions models — meaning battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid cars — known as the Advanced Clean Cars II Rule.

In a separate move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also gave its approval for the state to advance its Heavy-Duty Omnibus Rule, which is crafted to significantly reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from new heavy-duty, diesel-powered trucks.

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chart of global trade forecast

Tariff threat pours cold water on global trade forecast

Global trade will see a moderate rebound in 2025, likely growing by 3.6% in volume terms, helped by companies restocking and households renewing purchases of durable goods while reducing spending on services, according to a forecast from trade credit insurer Allianz Trade.

The end of the year for 2024 will also likely be supported by companies rushing to ship goods in anticipation of the higher tariffs likely to be imposed by the coming Trump administration, and other potential disruptions in the coming quarters, the report said.

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