Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024:
Titan Freight Systems president wins Portland mayoral race
Titan Freight Systems President Keith Wilson has been elected Mayor of Portland, Oregon, where his 47 truck LTL carrier is based.
Wilson, a founder of Titan Freight, ran on a platform of solving Portland's homelessness issue.
Since 2020 he has been one of the biggest supporters in bringing renewable diesel fuel to the Pacific Northwest. Titan Freight is also an early adopter of electric trucks, having secured in 2021 more than $1.2 million from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) – part of $8.1 million in funding for projects designed to reduce diesel emissions across the state and among vulnerable populations.
Wilson, who has never before been elected to office, in 2020 unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Portland City Council with a focus on traffic safety.
Mack launches new virtual tour tool for truck buyers
Mack Trucks has launched what it calls the Mack Live Tour digital experience, which offers prospective buyers a personalized, virtual truck exploration from the comfort of their home or office.
As the first OEM to offer this type of experience, Mack connects buyers directly with dedicated product specialists who provide comprehensive, one-on-one virtual tours of its truck models.
Brian Wright, Mack Trucks product specialist, gives a virtual tour of the Mack Anthem model, showcasing how the Live Tour experience brings the truck's features directly to potential customers.Mack Trucks
During each 30-minute session, segment-specific product specialists guide customers through detailed tours tailored to their interests. The platform features a one-way video format, allowing customers to view the specialist's perspective while maintaining the customer’s privacy. Participants can communicate through either audio or chat options.
Product specialists provide insights into the selected truck model's exterior and interior features, with customers directing attention to the details that matter most to their operations. This approach focuses on information and answers, ensuring a pressure-free environment for customer decision-making, Mack said.
The program is currently available to qualified buyers in the United States and Canada. Interested parties can learn more and schedule their personalized virtual tour online here.
Overhaul tracks another cargo theft increase
Overhaul reported California was home to 47% of all cargo thefts it recorded in the third quarter, up from 30% during the same quarter a year ago.Overhaul
The Overhaul cargo theft recording and supply chain protection firm recorded 500 cargo thefts in the United States in the third quarter of 2024, marking a 6.2% increase compared to the previous quarter and a 7% increase over Q3 in 2023.
These thefts had an average loss value of $176,290, the firm noted.
Electronics were the most-targeted product type in the country, followed by miscellaneous goods. Additionally, 47% of all thefts occurred in California, whereas in Q3 of the previous year, only 30% of these thefts took place in the state.
Pilferage, or the partial theft of a load, was the most common method used by thieves to steal cargo in the quarter, accounting for 65% of all thefts. Full truckload theft was second with 16%. Unsecured parking locations were the most common place for thefts to occur, accounting for a quarter of all thefts in the quarter. Warehouses and distribution centers saw 20% of thefts occur, followed by truck stops and fueling locations at 19%. Only 9% of thefts occurred in secured parking locations.
See Overhaul’s full Q3 2024 cargo theft graphic here.
[Related: Cargo theft continues to rise over 2023 numbers]
FMCSA’s lease-purchase task force reschedules next meeting
The Truck Leasing Task Force -- established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to explore and evaluate predatory lease-purchase agreements in trucking, among other tasks related to lease-purchases – is moving its next meeting from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3.
The late-November meeting was scheduled back in September as one of two meetings in which the task force was to draft a committee report on the equitability of truck leasing agreements and their terms, and identifying best practices to assist truckers in assessing lease agreement impacts before entering into them.
FMCSA is announcing in a Federal Register notice set to publish Wednesday, Nov. 13, that the meeting will now be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The meeting will be virtual for its entirety. Those interested in attending are asked to register in advance here. A copy of the agenda for the meeting will be made available here a week before the meeting.
TFC Logistics returning to general freight business
TFC Logistics, parent company of MXC Logistics, is returning to the general freight business after exiting the space in the summer of 2015.
TFC Logistics paused its general freight operations nearly a decade ago to focus on healthcare logistics, channeling resources into its specialized healthcare courier division, MedXpress Connect, now rebranded as MXC Logistics – the No. 1 medical courier company in the U.S. for eight consecutive years, as ranked by the National Medical Couriers Safety Administration (NMCSA).
With a renewed fleet of more 1,100 tractor-trailers spread across the U.S., MXC Logistics Founder and TFC Logistics COO James Barnett said the company is set to re-apply that same formula to the general freight industry and aims to reclaim its former dominance.
"This comeback isn't just a continuation of our story," he said, "it's the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Our team's passion for excellence, coupled with the expertise we've homed in healthcare logistics, gives us a unique edge as we re-enter this space."
LAD Truck Lines announces leadership team changes
LAD Truck Lines, a trucking and logistics company headquartered in Watkinsville, Georgia, has announced several key promotions and appointments within its leadership team.
The strategic moves are part of the company’s commitment to operational excellence, improving the customer experience and delivering exceptional service, the company said.
The following executives will begin serving in their new roles effective immediately:
- Austin Bushatz has been hired as Vice President of Warehouse Operations
- Jordan Culver has been promoted to Vice President of Safety and Maintenance
- William Haugabook, Jr. has been promoted to Executive Vice President
- Josh Tench has been promoted to Vice President of Sales and Logistics
- Adam Webb has been promoted to General Manager
“Each of these leaders brings the wide range of experiences, perspective and expertise LAD needs to continue operating competitively in the trucking industry,” said Mack Guest III, CEO of LAD Truck Lines. “I look forward to working alongside them in their new roles, and I am confident in the positive impact these men will have on our operations and for our customers.”
