Freight Bid Tip # 7. Establish Backup Carriers for Most Blocks of Business

Freight Bid Tip # 7. Establish Backup Carriers for Most Blocks of Business

9 years ago

We live in an ever-changing world. Trucking companies come and go. They are being bought, sold, merged, downsized and resized every day. Under new management, a company may flourish or deteriorate. In this era of driver shortages, carriers are being very deliberate about how they allocate their capacity. As they focus on yield management, this […]

Developing a Core Carrier Program

10 years ago

In a recent Stifel report, it was noted that the “mother” of all capacity shortages is expected to hit the United States in 2017 as a series of government regulations reduce the supply of fleet equipment by five to fifteen percent. Despite the efforts of carriers to raise pay, upgrade facilities and improve the lifestyle […]

The “Fun” is Back in the LTL Freight Industry

10 years ago

As I look at the LTL freight transportation today, it is hard to believe that just a few years ago, this was one of the most battered sectors of the freight industry. The LTL freight industry took a tremendous pounding during the Great Recession as business volumes contracted by about twenty-five percent. As operating margins […]

What Can Shippers Do to Mitigate the Upcoming Freight Rate Increases?

11 years ago

Freight rate increases are coming this year. The economy is on the upswing. Truck capacity is tightening as driver shortages, government regulations, cost overruns from a very challenging winter and carrier financial prudence all push freight rates in one direction – – – higher What can shippers do to mitigate the impact? A lot. Here […]

The Top Freight Transportation Stories of 2013

11 years ago

As the year 2013 winds down, it is time to reflect on the major transportation trends of the past year. While I saw and read about a wide range of developments, these are the ones that resonated most with me. 1.Technology Comes to Freight Transportation Last year I predicted that we would see a flurry […]

What were the Biggest Freight Transportation Stories of 2013? / What will be the Top Trends in 2014?

11 years ago

At the end of each year, I like to take stock of the major freight transportation stories of the past twelve months and look ahead to the trends that will drive the industry in the coming year. The two blogs that I write are prepared from my perspective as a consultant to shippers and carriers. […]

State of Logistics Report Highlights “New Normal” in Freight Transportation

11 years ago

Last week the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals released its 24th annual State of Logistics Report. Last year, business logistics costs were once again 8.5 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the same level they hit in 2011, the new report says. That means freight logistics was growing at about the same rate […]

2011 – Surface Transportation – The Year in Review

13 years ago

Freight Transportation Adjusts to a Resetting World Economy The year 2011 was another momentous one that was shaped by events on all continents of the world. Uprisings in the Middle East and the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gadhafi, the European debt crisis, the Occupy Wall Street Movement, the assassination of Osama Bin […]

Dedicated Trucking is One Answer to Potential Capacity Problems

13 years ago

On several occasions I have commented in this blog about a looming truck capacity shortage. A soft North American economy coupled with political uncertainty and concerns about Europe and China, are discouraging carriers from making investments in their fleets. Truckers are seeking to maximize the utilization of their existing assets and improve yields, particularly with […]