A soft truckload freight market is driven by factors including U.S. shippers’ increasing use of privately operated fleets and favorably-priced intermodal rail capacity. According to Ari Ashe, Senior Editor at the Journal of Commerce (JOC) and author of the latest JOC Intermodal Savings Index (ISI), “Intermodal shippers in the U.S. saved almost 26% under annual…
Fall produce season mixed with holiday season festivities typically provides a much-needed boost for reefer carriers in November. This year, though, truckload volumes nationally trailed last year by around 3%, impacted mainly by the prominent California produce market, where volumes are down 26% year-over-year (y/y). In the smaller Pacific Northwest (PNW) produce region, truckload volumes…
The current flatbed market is one of the softest in many years, and the second half of this year has mirrored 2019, a poor year for truckload carriers. The national average flatbed linehaul rate, at $1.83/mile excluding fuel, has tracked closely with 2019 levels for the last three months and, as of this week, is…