Last month, U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced a $7.89 Million grant for a project to improve rail infrastructure in Northeastern Maine. NBM Rail Services has been awarded the contract to repair and upgrade 22 rail bridges on the Madawaska Subdivision of the Maine Northern Railway. Fourteen bridges will require minor repairs, three bridges require superstructure replacements, and one bridge will be replaced completely. The funding, through the FASTLANE grant program, will help create jobs, improve competitiveness and provide an economic boost for the State of Maine. Following project completion, the 151-mile section will be capable of carrying 286,000 pounds of rail car weight. “This major rail link is used daily by manufacturers and customers across our state, and these improvements will significantly increase capacity and efficiency throughout the corridor,” said Senator Collins, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee. Click Read More below for additional detail.

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 1.5% in June after falling 1% in May. In June, the index equaled 111.6 (2015=100) compared with 113.3 in May. “Tonnage has definitely flattened out, on average, over the last six to nine months,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The good news is that it remains slightly above 2020 levels. “Supply chain issues are likely putting some downward pressure on tonnage,” he said. “But it is also likely that tonnage isn’t growing as much as it could because of industry-specific supply constraints. This index is dominated by contract freight, and the for-hire truckload carriers have seen their tractor counts fall because they are having difficulty finding qualified drivers. It is difficult to move more tonnage with less equipment, which is why we are seeing strong volumes in the spot market as shippers scramble to get loads moved.”

Months of collective bargaining have culminated in a tentative agreement for UPS (NYSE: UPS) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The five-year agreement, which is subject to ratification, covers Teamsters-represented UPS employees in small package roles. UPS’s goal has been to reward the company’s employees for their contributions to its success while enabling the business to remain flexible to meet its customers’ needs – each of these goals have been met in the new agreement. UPS is well-positioned to grow and meet the needs of its customers. Click Read More below for additional information.