Most potatoes in the United States are now sold in processed forms such as frozen, chipped, dehydrated, or canned. With the introduction of french fries as a critical side dish in quick-service restaurants, the share of potatoes that go into frozen products has risen in each decade since 1979 (from 33% to 45% in 2021).…
You know firsthand the challenges of controlling operating costs while keeping your margins healthy. Salaries, fuel, equipment, tolls, insurance, licenses – it’s a lot. Let’s take a look at strategies that will give you more control over those costs. At the end of the day, your business is a margins game. Here’s how to keep…
The industry is changing fast. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or unable to keep up. There are new tools, new metrics, new technologies, and the hottest topic in town: artificial intelligence. In a new article in 3PL Perspectives, DAT’s Jeff Hopper urges the freight industry to embrace innovation, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). With the 2024…
As they typically do each February, U.S. containerized import volumes dropped following the multi-week closure of factories during Chinese New Year celebrations. Imports dropped 7% month-over-month (m/m) but were historically high compared to prior years. Most notably, imports are up by 4% or just over 84,000 containers compared to 2020, right before the World Health…
There needs to be more debate as to whether there’s an actual net shortage of truck drivers to drive available trucks or a shortage of drivers wanting to make trucking a career. One thing is for sure, though: The industry needs help retaining drivers and turning a driving job into a career. Why? Long-distance trucking…
Since the Great Recession in 2007, Las Vegas has sought to “recession-proof” itself and, in the process, started a construction boom that created significant demand for flatbed carriers to haul millions of tons of freight into the city each month. In addition to local demand for belly dumpers, construction, and earthmoving machinery, long-haul flatbed demand…
Washington State is by far the largest producer of onions nationally (25% of annual volume), followed by Mexico (18%) and Idaho (11%). Yerington in the Mason Valley is not so well-known and widely regarded as one of the country’s most extensive onion-growing operations. It is located 70 miles south of Reno, NV, and 370 miles…
The manufacturing industry, a vital driver of the U.S. economy, and flatbed demand dropped at a faster-than-expected rate in February, making it the 16th consecutive month of declines. The Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) came in at 47.8 for February, down from 49.1 in January. The PMI is a diffusion index; readings…
It takes a heavy dose of courage to go out on your own and make a life for yourself. For many, the volume of “what if”s and “what about”s is enough to keep them in their comfort zone, never venturing out, never exploring what all is possible. But that’s not Wanda Billups. She wanted a…
The Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI), produced by Zac Rogers at Colorado State University, came in at 56.5 in February 2024, up (+0.9) from January’s reading of 55.6 and is tied with October 2023 for the highest reading for the overall index in the last year. This growth is bolstered by expansion in all eight sub-metrics…