Truckers are struggling to make the economics of battery-electric rigs work, even with diesel prices soaring to record highs, the WSJ Logistics Report's Paul Berger writes.
Truckers in California are asking the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to subsidize the high costs of owning and operating zero-emission big rigs. Drivers of electric-powered rigs say they can't compete with diesel-powered rivals even as fuel prices surge to record highs.
The ports are considering paying truckers $60 each time they pick up or drop off containers with a zero-emission vehicle, up to a maximum $36,000 per truck per year, over the next three years. The boards of the two ports are expected to vote on the proposal in the coming months.
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said struggling carriers approached the port to request help earlier this year. The ports, as well as state and federal agencies, have already committed hundreds of millions of dollars to install charging infrastructure and subsidize purchases of zero-emission trucks.
"I don't know that just subsidizing people is a complete answer. But maybe in the interim we've got to do something to help."Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles
Heavy Equipment
Federal regulators launched a probe into potential anticompetitive practices in the agricultural-equipment markets, the Journal's Elias Schisgall writes.
The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Agriculture said they opened a joint public inquiry seeking information into the manufacturing and distribution markets for the equipment amid a growing number of complaints to the USDA.
They invited comments from the public, saying farmers across the country are facing barriers to acquiring agricultural equipment and the services required to keep the equipment operating. Shares of Caterpillar, CNH Industrial, Agco and Deere fell.
Number of the Day
299,001
Intermodal containers and trailers carried on U.S. railroads in the week ended Oct. 3, up 7.4% from a year earlier, according to the Association of American Railroads.
In Other News
-- Gulf of Mexico oil producers started curbing output and evacuating personnel ahead of Tropical Storm Isaias. (WSJ)
-- Attacks claimed by Yemen's Houthi militants damaged two airports in Saudi Arabia, killing three people and wounding 36 others. (WSJ)
-- U.S. commercial crude oil inventories fell by 3.2 million barrels to 424.1 million barrels in the week ended Oct. 2, according to the EIA. (WSJ)
-- German exports fell 0.8% in August, the largest decline since November 2025. (WSJ)
-- Levi Strauss is using a portion of its tariff refunds to support its direct-to-consumer business after the segment disappointed in the third quarter. (WSJ)
-- Tesla is scheduled to debut its long-delayed Roadster supercar on Oct. 15 in Waco, Texas. (WSJ)
-- Canada's Weston family reached a deal to buy U.K. pharmacy chain Boots from Sycamore Partners for $8.9 billion including debt. (WSJ)
-- Germany rejected a bid for logistics company Konrad Zippel Spediteur by Chinese state-owned Cosco, citing security concerns. (Journal of Commerce)
-- Wallenius Wilhelmsen raised about $300 million in equity and is in advanced talks with shipyards for four dual-fuel car carriers, and options for an additional eight vessels. (Splash247)
-- China obtained F-35 fighter parts after a United Parcel Service worker missed an email saying to not route the shipment through Hong Kong, according to a person briefed on the incident. (Bloomberg)
-- Red Sea transits by containerships reached 314 in September, up 64% from a year earlier to the highest since attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants started almost three years ago. (Lloyd's List)
-- South Korea's HD Hyundai said it delivered the first containership with its new "Lashing-Free" system that doesn't require workers to manually secure boxes on board. (The Maritime Executive)
-- Parallel Systems said it raised $100 million to expand and speed output of its Panther battery-powered autonomous freight rail vehicle. (DC Velocity)
-- Los Angeles police said they recovered cargo valued at $1 million that was stolen from BNSF Railway and Union Pacific facilities. (SupplyChainBrain)