Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

newsworthy

Roadrunner shuffles top management at LTL business

Hurst in, Crawford out at unit.

Roadrunner Transportation Systems Inc. said today that Frank Hurst has been named president of Roadrunner Freight, the company's asset-light, less-than-truckload (LTL) business.

Hurst, who joined the company in January as the unit's senior vice president, sales and marketing, replaces Grant Crawford, who is leaving the Cudahy, Wis.-based company.


Hurst spent three years as vice president/general manager for North America Corp., a distributor of facilities, packaging, and marketing supplies. He has worked in transportation for 21 years, including 16 at FedEx Freight, the LTL unit of Memphis-based FedEx Corp., and as executive vice president at LTL carrier Vitran Express.

Roadrunner, which offers truckload and LTL services through an "asset-light" model where it effectively controls capacity without employing drivers or owning equipment, ran into trouble in January when it said it would restate four years of financial results because of unrecorded expenses at two of the 34 companies it had acquired between 2005 and 2015. The company has yet to file its annual 10-K report for 2016, citing the complex process of investigating the causes of accounting discrepancies and reviewing its internal control over financial reporting and compliance programs. Under Securities and Exchange Commission rules, it has until Sept. 30 to do so.

In January, Roadrunner acknowledged its multi-year acquisition spree left it with an unwieldy organization, comprised of 20 operating units, that was slow to respond to changing market conditions, especially in 2016 amid declining demand for truckload and LTL services.

Since then, Roadrunner has restructured into six operating groups. Four of those groups are in truckload, and one each in LTL and Roadrunner's logistics group, the latter of which is known as Global Solutions. The four groups in the new truckload segment cover air and ground expedited; temperature-controlled; intermodal; and asset-based brokerage.

In March, Roadrunner formed a unit focused on temperature-controlled services made up of two of its acquisitions: M. Bruenger and R&M Transportation.

The Latest

More Stories

person using AI at a laptop

Gartner: GenAI set to impact procurement processes

Progress in generative AI (GenAI) is poised to impact business procurement processes through advancements in three areas—agentic reasoning, multimodality, and AI agents—according to Gartner Inc.

Those functions will redefine how procurement operates and significantly impact the agendas of chief procurement officers (CPOs). And 72% of procurement leaders are already prioritizing the integration of GenAI into their strategies, thus highlighting the recognition of its potential to drive significant improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, Gartner found in a survey conducted in July, 2024, with 258 global respondents.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Report: SMEs hopeful ahead of holiday peak

Report: SMEs hopeful ahead of holiday peak

Businesses are cautiously optimistic as peak holiday shipping season draws near, with many anticipating year-over-year sales increases as they continue to battle challenging supply chain conditions.

That’s according to the DHL 2024 Peak Season Shipping Survey, released today by express shipping service provider DHL Express U.S. The company surveyed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to gauge their holiday business outlook compared to last year and found that a mix of optimism and “strategic caution” prevail ahead of this year’s peak.

Keep ReadingShow less
retail store tech AI zebra

Retailers plan tech investments to stop theft and loss

Eight in 10 retail associates are concerned about the lack of technology deployed to spot safety threats or criminal activity on the job, according to a report from Zebra Technologies Corp.

That challenge is one of the reasons that fewer shoppers overall are satisfied with their shopping experiences lately, Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Zebra said in its “17th Annual Global Shopper Study.”th Annual Global Shopper Study.” While 85% of shoppers last year were satisfied with both the in-store and online experiences, only 81% in 2024 are satisfied with the in-store experience and just 79% with online shopping.

Keep ReadingShow less
warehouse automation systems

Cimcorp's new CEO sees growth in grocery and tire segments

Logistics automation systems integrator Cimcorp today named company insider Veli-Matti Hakala as its new CEO, saying he will cultivate growth in both the company and its clientele, specifically in the grocery retail and tire plant logistics sectors.

An eight-year veteran of the Georgia company, Hakala will begin his new role on January 1, when the current CEO, Tero Peltomäki, will retire after a long and noteworthy career, continuing as a member of the board of directors, Cimcorp said.

Keep ReadingShow less

Securing the last mile

Although many shoppers will return to physical stores this holiday season, online shopping remains a driving force behind peak-season shipping challenges, especially when it comes to the last mile. Consumers still want fast, free shipping if they can get it—without any delays or disruptions to their holiday deliveries.

One disruptor that gets a lot of headlines this time of year is package theft—committed by so-called “porch pirates.” These are thieves who snatch parcels from front stairs, side porches, and driveways in neighborhoods across the country. The problem adds up to billions of dollars in stolen merchandise each year—not to mention headaches for shippers, parcel delivery companies, and, of course, consumers.

Keep ReadingShow less