Labor
The Women In Trucking Association (WIT) released the 2026-27 WIT Index on August 27, showing that the share of women in the trucking industry workforce has remained largely flat, with nearly one in ten holding professional driving roles. Small carriers have the highest proportion of female CDL holders (12.5%), while large companies (with over 5,000 employees) stand at only 7%. In leadership, women hold 31%, 37.5%, and 29% of C-suite executive, supervisor, and board seat positions, respectively.
A securities filing submitted by FedEx Freight on September 2 shows that the company has dismissed Executive Vice President and Chief Professional Services and Commercial Officer Michael Lyons after an internal investigation determined he violated the code of conduct. His responsibilities will be temporarily shared among other executives while the company seeks a successor.
The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund appointed Diane Hutsell as executive director on August 24. The organization has assisted nearly 4,200 drivers and their families since 2008, providing over $5.5 million in direct financial aid. Hutsell plans to expand fundraising to broaden health programs and drive the organization's next phase of growth.
XPO announced on August 10 the appointment of Jonas Svedlund as Chief Legal Officer, effective immediately. Svedlund previously served as Deputy General Counsel at Thermo Fisher Scientific and held executive roles at General Electric.
RoadOne IntermodaLogistics announced the acquisition of Higgins Transport Service, a Charleston-based agent of Wall Street Intermodal. The deal adds 15 drivers to RoadOne's Charleston operations and bolsters its Southeast growth strategy. Terms were not disclosed.
On July 29, Averitt announced adjustments to regional and LTL driver pay, raising regional driver rates to 66 cents per mile with an average weekly salary of about $1,550, while eliminating the separate rate for drivers without hazardous materials endorsement and replacing it with a $25 surcharge per trip.
Daimler Truck North America has decided to close its Portland plant and three related facilities to optimize its production network, affecting 387 employees, with production shifting to the Carolinas. The company retains its headquarters and R&D departments, and the union has responded that it will negotiate.
According to the latest survey jointly released by recruitment platform Indeed and market research company YouGov, although employers generally expect managers to lead teams with AI expertise, 43% of managers say they are unprepared or even completely unprepared for this. The survey also found that employers' expectations for employees' use of AI far exceed employees' own comfort levels, with the gap reaching 2 to 3 times for advanced tasks. Additionally, 52% of surveyed employees said they had not received the AI training they needed, and 25% gave up on upskilling due to concerns about AI accuracy, ethics, and data privacy.
President Trump announced on Thursday the launch of the 'Freedom Transporter' program, offering a fast track for veterans to obtain commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). The program, initiated by the U.S. Department of Transportation along with the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor on July 24, allows eligible veterans to be exempt from knowledge tests and driving skills tests within 24 months after leaving service (longer than the original 12-month exemption period). Several trucking industry organizations have expressed support for this initiative.
Old Dominion Freight Line's second-quarter operating income increased 30% year-over-year to $465.3 million, with the operating ratio improving to 70.1% from 74.6% in the same period last year. Despite LTL tonnage, shipments, and intercity miles declining 4.1%, 5.7%, and 4.8%, respectively, management indicated that demand has been steadily improving since late last year and raised its annual capital expenditure plan by over $115 million to approximately $380 million.