Economy
Aftermarket increasingly global, online
LAS VEGAS, NV – The business of selling truck parts has become increasingly global, introducing a series of new brands along the way. But the source of the parts is only one thing to change, as the industry is further transformed by the tools of e-commerce. “It’s amazing to see what’s happened in the last 10 to 15 years,” said Heavy Duty Manufacturing Association president Tim Kraus, referring to the global alliances of Volvo and Mack, Paccar and DAF, Navistar and Volkswagen, and equipment made under the Daimler umbrella.
Dip in Nov. conditions doesn’t mean a negative outlook: FTR
BLOOMINGTON, IN – Conditions remained strong in November despite a decline from the month before say analysts at FTR Intelligence. The group’s monthly index measured a month-over-month decline to a level it calls more sustainable after extreme weather and tight labor conditions caused a short-term spike in October.
NAFTA deal still in question
TORONTO, ON – The future of NAFTA remains uncertain as negotiators prepare for their latest round of meetings, this time in Montreal. Months into discussions, nobody even knows if U.S. President Donald Trump will decide to outright scrap the deal that governs every load of cross-border freight. With about 10 million trucks crossing between Canada and the U.S. each year, there is plenty of business at stake. A recent survey by Export Development Canada even found that 26% of exporters would shift their business to the U.S. if the agreement was revoked outright. Trade between the U.S. and Canada tripled between 1986 and 2017, Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association executive director Ruth Snowden observed, during a January 17 seminar hosted by the Fernandes Hearn law firm in Toronto. “If [NAFTA] goes, it could be very significant.”
Year closes with record-breaking freight volumes
TORONTO, ON – Canadian freight volumes closed out 2017 in record-breaking fashion reports TransCore Link Logistics. The company says Canadian and cross-border freight volumes saw unprecedented growth in the last quarter of the year. Volumes were up by 51% year-over-year, and 9% compared to the previous quarter.
VersaCold opens new Milton distribution center
MILTON, ON – It’s freezing in VersaCold’s new distribution center in Milton, Ontario. Below freezing, actually, and that’s a good thing. Officially opened on January 11, the structure shares little in common with the Sobey’s warehouse that once called it home. It has been transformed into a fully temperature-controlled environment, with individual zones chilled to temperatures between 4 and -30 Celsius. Investments have been made in generators, boilers, and refrigeration panels alike. Concrete floors have been raised and re-poured in 11 seamless sections. The underlying technology used to move pallets of frozen foodstuff has all been upgraded, even to the point of including voice-activated equipment.
