The Current State of the LTL Freight Industry in North America

The Current State of the LTL Freight Industry in North America

9 years ago

Every few years I like to take a look at the segment of the freight industry where I got my start, the LTL sector. As I reviewed the landscape for this year’s blog, I am struck by the significant changes taking place in both the United States and Canada. Revenue Growth Stagnated Here are links […]

The New Economic Paradigm of Freight Transportation

9 years ago

As we approach 2016, there are a number of forces that are shaping the economics of Freight Transportation. Here are a few to consider. The US Economy and the US Dollar The US economy is providing a number of mixed signals in December of 2015. Unemployment is at only five percent. Economic growth, while sluggish, […]

The Top Surface Transportation Stories of 2015

9 years ago

The past year started with some solid tailwinds as the economies of the United States and Canada appeared to be in a growth mode. Then a number of unexpected events took place that changed the trajectory of the year. Here is our synopsis of the major freight transportation stories of 2015. The Collapse in Energy […]

Freight Carriers – How to Achieve Success with Freight Bids – Part 2

9 years ago

In my last blog, I outlined a set of tips to help carriers achieve greater success with Freight Bids. Here are a few more. Put your best foot forward early in the process We observe both incumbent and new carriers hold back on their pricing to see where they need to be at the […]

Dan’s Transportation Newspaper

9 years ago

Many of us receive information from multiple news sources on a daily basis. You may start your day with the morning newspaper in hard copy or on your iPad or Surface. If you are in the transportation industry, you are likely receiving trade magazines in hard copy and/or digital form, news feeds and white papers […]

The Current State of the LTL Freight Industry

10 years ago

During the Great Recession, the LTL freight industry experienced a “near death” experience as declining freight volumes, excess capacity and falling rates conspired to dramatically reduce revenues and profits. The LTL market shrank from more than $33 billion U.S. at the peak in 2006 to $25.2 billion at the recession’s trough in 2009. As we […]

The Shadow of the Economic Crisis Lingers in Canada

10 years ago

In President Obama’s State of the Union message that he delivered to a joint session of congress on Tuesday, January 20, he stated that the “shadow of the (economic) crisis has passed” in the United States. The very next day, the Governor of the Bank of Canada dropped interest rates by 0.25 percent “to stave […]

Some Major Trends Shaping the North American Freight Transportation Industry in 2015

10 years ago

This past year was a tumultuous and transformative year in Freight Transportation. What is in store for us in 2015? Here are some trends to watch. 1. Dimensional LTL Pricing The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) system, developed during the Great Depression by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, classifies goods based on four elements—density, […]

The Top Freight Transportation Stories of 2014

10 years ago

As the year draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the major news stories in the world of freight transportation. These are the ones that struck me as being the most impactful. 1. The Economy – Two Steps Forward/One Step Back US GDP grew by over 3 percent in 2014, its best […]

Some Takeaways from the 2014 Surface Transportation Summit Part 2 – Shipper-Carrier Collaboration

10 years ago

At the 2013 Summit, Jacquie Meyers, President of Meyers Transportation Services, made shipper-carrier collaboration a “hot topic” with an impassioned plea to both sides to take a more enlightened approach to working together. Her argument was that this is the best way to reduce freight costs. Since this plea resonated so well with the attendees, […]