C.R. England Holds No. 1 Reefer Spot as K.L. Breeden Cracks Top 10
FleetOwner 500 reefer rankings hold steady at the top, but K.L. Breeden & Sons climbs to No. 6 and National Carriers enters at No. 10.
Tess Crawford
Markets, Rates, Fuel & Carrier Business
Tess Crawford tracks the money flowing through trucking, spot and contract rates, diesel and crude markets, fuel surcharges, lane capacity, freight demand, LTL tonnage and yield, plus the carrier-business side: bankruptcies, M&A, layoffs, and insurance pricing. She writes for the dispatcher checking the load board between calls and the small-fleet owner reading the P&L over coffee.
Saia May Tonnage Up 8.4%: Weight Per Shipment Climbs 4.5%
The LTL carrier posted accelerating tonnage growth in May, driven by heavier shipments and easier year-ago comps. Manufacturing data signals more volume ahead.
Diesel Over $5 in May, Nine Steps to Push Your Fleet Past 7 MPG
National average fuel economy sits at 6.91 MPG. Fleets hyper-focused on efficiency are clearing 10 MPG. Here's how to close the gap when diesel costs $5 a…
Brent Crude Slips to $93.49 but Still $23 Above Pre-War Level
International oil benchmark dropped $1.49 on June 2 but remains 33% higher than the $70 baseline before the Strait of Hormuz closure.
FedEx Freight CEO: Rate Recovery Will Hit Bumps Through 2026
John Smith says carriers and shippers should expect volatility even as spot and contract rates climb off multi-year lows.
Used Truck Prices Climb as Freight Recession Hangover Lifts
Auction lots are finally clearing inventory from the 2022-2023 downturn. What rising resale values mean for small fleets looking to buy or trade.
FedEx Freight Begins Trading as Standalone LTL Carrier at $155.75
The nation's largest LTL carrier spun off June 1 under ticker FDXF. FedEx keeps 19.9% for two years. What the split means for capacity and rates.
Brent Crude Jumps 3.3% to $94.16 on U.S.-Iran Tensions
International oil benchmark climbs early June 1 as Middle East conflict escalates, adding pressure to diesel and fuel costs.
C.H. Robinson Cuts Carriers Over Safety Scores After Supreme Court Ruling
The broker is pulling load access from carriers above FMCSA intervention thresholds. The timing lines up with a May Supreme Court decision that may have…
Brent Crude Falls 2.1% on Ceasefire Talk, Diesel Relief Weeks Out
International oil benchmark dropped to $90.78/barrel May 29 as Iran war de-escalation hopes build, but pump prices lag crude moves by 10 to 14 days.
U.S. Exports Jump 4% in April, Shrinking Trade Deficit to $82.4B
Record crude and fuel shipments drove the export surge. Imports rose modestly as firms stockpile inventory against tariff and geopolitical risk.
Yellow Corp. Workers May Get Paid by July After 3-Year Wait
Bankruptcy court approved liquidation plan in November. Employee claims classified as priority. Transition to liquidating trust expected June or July, but…