One of the great joys of trucking is the joy our work brings to children. When we’re young, the image of a giant truck soaring by on the highway is a pure marvel – like you’re seeing a real-life Transformer. And if you’re the type of trucker who responds to passers-by pantomiming horn pulls with…
Produce season is upon us, and you don’t have to be hauling food to feel its effects. It’s a time of year when demand for trucks is near its highest. And when demand rises, rates follow. That’s why this is a time of year most carriers look forward to, especially when freight markets have been…
Higher levels of commercial construction activity are offsetting the well-documented slowdown in residential construction. Boosted by new developments for electric vehicles, schools, e-commerce warehouses, manufacturing plants, and more recently, infrastructure projects, flatbed and specialized carriers are seeing more robust than expected demand this year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction spending for non-residential projects…
The 2023 produce season starts in the Southeast but is driven by California regarding the market-wide lift truckload volume and spot rates. The multi-year drought in California suppressed the 2022 produce season; this year, it’s impacted by extensive flooding in January and March. The area worst affected by the flooding was the Salinas Valley, where…
The U.S. Bank Freight Payments Index is based on more than $46 billion in freight payments annually and provides a quarterly look at the domestic truckload and less-than-truckload freight market. There were some mixed signals in the recently published first-quarter report for 2023. Even though the volume of shipments decreased by just over 6% compared…
The transportation logistics industry has seen its fair share of ups and downs in recent years – from the COVID-19 pandemic to recent supply chain issues. Now, in response to this tumultuous environment, the logistics industry has become increasingly data-driven. To help optimize supply chains, predict and prepare for market shifts, better understand performance, and…
Shippers and carriers say, “We have long memories” when the power dynamics change in freight markets. But according to research conducted by the MIT Center for Technology & Logistics (MIT CTL) in November 2020, strong shipper-carrier relationships in a soft market do not predict how carriers will perform in the next tight cycle. As we…
In the past decade, data has become perhaps the most important tool a company can use to make strategic decisions and see success. In light of this, Dr. Chris Caplice sat down with Scott Friesen, EVP of Strategic Analytics for Echo Global Logistics, for an episode of Freightvine. In this episode, the pair discuss the…
About 84% of U.S. adults are expected to spend a record $35.7 billion this coming Mother’s Day, representing an increase of $4 billion from 2022’s record spending, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Their recently released annual survey indicates consumers plan to spend an average of $274.02 on Mother’s Day items. Whichever way you…
International Roadcheck is an annual three-day event when CVSA-certified inspectors conduct compliance, enforcement, and educational initiatives targeting various motor carrier, vehicle, and driver safety elements. It is the most extensive targeted enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles worldwide, inspecting more than 1.8 million vehicles since 1988. The next International Roadcheck is scheduled for May 16-18,…