Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024:
Carriers asked to participate in ATRI’s annual Operational Costs report
The American Transportation Research Institute on Monday issued a request for motor carriers to participate in ATRI’s annual update to its Operational Costs of Trucking report.
The report is one of the most trusted resources in the industry for benchmarking costs and operations, ATRI said. ATRI collects data confidentially from for-hire motor carriers of all sectors, regions and sizes – from one-truck owner-operators to 10,000-truck fleets – to produce insights on key industry trends that guide decision-makers of all kinds.
Cost metrics requested by ATRI include driver pay, insurance premiums and equipment lease or purchase payments. Carriers and owner-operators can submit these costs for the year 2023 on a per-mile or per-hour basis with an easy-to-use online data entry form or an emailed PDF form. Additional questions cover operational metrics such as the percentage of empty miles, dwell time per stop, and driver turnover.
All participating carriers will receive a customized report that compares their fleet’s costs and operations to peer carriers of the same sector and size, as well as an advance copy of the full report.
For-hire motor carriers are encouraged to provide operational cost data to ATRI by Friday, April 26. ATRI’s data collection form is available online here, along with a sample customized report and FAQ. All confidential information is protected, and it is published only in anonymized, aggregate form.
In last year’s Operational Costs of Trucking report, based on 2022’s numbers, marginal costs ballooned 21.3% last year over 2021 to $2.251 per mile, surpassing the $2 per mile mark for the first time in the history of the report.
[Related: Cost of trucking hit record high last year, passes $2/mile for the first time]
FTC challenges Kroger’s acquisition of Albertson’s
The Federal Trade Commission on Monday, Feb. 26, sued to block the largest proposed supermarket merger in U.S. history – Kroger Company’s $24.6 billion acquisition of the Albertsons Companies, Inc. – alleging that the deal is anticompetitive.
If completed, the acquisition would create the largest private trucking fleet in the grocery segment with nearly 2,400 tractors.
The FTC charges that the proposed deal will eliminate fierce competition between Kroger and Albertsons, leading to higher prices for groceries and other essential household items for millions of Americans. The loss of competition will also lead to lower quality products and services, while also narrowing consumers’ choices for where to shop for groceries, FTC added.
“This supermarket mega merger comes as American consumers have seen the cost of groceries rise steadily over the past few years,” said Henry Liu, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods, further exacerbating the financial strain consumers across the country face today. Essential grocery store workers would also suffer under this deal, facing the threat of their wages dwindling, benefits diminishing, and their working conditions deteriorating.”
The FTC issued an administrative complaint and authorized a lawsuit in federal court to block the proposed acquisition pending the Commission’s administrative proceedings. A bipartisan group of nine attorneys general is joining the FTC’s federal court complaint.
Kroger operates thousands of stores across 36 states, which includes regional banners such as Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, Kroger, and Quality Food Centers (QFC). Albertsons also operates thousands of stores across 35 states under regional names including Albertsons, Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Pavilions, Safeway, and Vons. If the merger were completed, Kroger and Albertsons would operate more than 5,000 stores and approximately 4,000 retail pharmacies and would employ nearly 700,000 employees across 48 states.
[Related: Kroger and Albertsons to merge, create private fleet grocery behemoth]
Volvo recall hits new VNL, VNR models
Volvo Trucks North America is recalling approximately 45 model year 2024-‘25 VNL and VNR trucks in which the steering gear sector shaft may have been improperly heat-treated, which can cause the gear teeth to crack or fracture.
A fractured steering gear shaft can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Affected trucks were built between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2024, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
Dealers will inspect the serial numbers, and replace the steering gears, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 15. Owners can contact Volvo Trucks customer service at 1-800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2401. NHTSA’s recall number is 24V-121.
[Related: Three truck makers issue recalls]
