The flatbed market has been flat for most of 2023, with very little good news on the horizon. Still, Daseke, Inc., the largest flatbed carrier nationwide, delivered excellent results in the third quarter against some challenging headwinds. Jonathan Shepko, Chief Executive Officer of Daseke, said, “Adjusted for fuel and equipment gain on sale, the company…
We could be witnessing a reversal of last year’s diversion of import volumes away from the West Coast to the East and Gulf Coasts. Shippers fearful of labor disruptions and port congestion diverted imports to ports like Houston and Savannah via the Panama Canal in 2021 and 2022. The 2024 International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) labor…
You can’t always stay below I-40 when it’s below 40° Even the most experienced drivers struggle with icy roads and sub-zero temperatures when winter delivers a mix of nasty weather and road conditions. For drivers, the miles get more complex and slower than during summer. Moreover, any hidden equipment fault is exposed almost immediately, making…
My local farmstand proprietor in New England told me last week he had considered not selling Christmas trees this year due to recent drought conditions and the substantial impact on cash flow. In this case, the business owners had to place their 2023 order of trees in August and pay in complete, causing an enormous…
The title of this entry is a common road trip question and one of the most frequent at DAT Freight & Analytics. Of course, the question concerns the bottom of the freight market. Low freight rates are dragging on for far too long, according to brokers and carriers. On the other hand, shippers have enjoyed…
Despite many Americans’ aversion to having to “spring forward” and “fall back” each year with daylight saving time (DST), recent attempts by states to switch to permanent DST have gone dark. There is growing support to eliminate the changing of clocks twice yearly, with a survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2020…
International Roadcheck is an annual three-day event when certified Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspectors conduct compliance, enforcement, and educational initiatives targeting various motor carrier, vehicle, and driver safety elements. It is the most extensive targeted enforcement program of commercial motor vehicles worldwide. Since its inception in 1988, more than 1.8 million vehicles have been…
DAT iQ recently spoke to lumber and housing expert Dustin Jalbert from Fastmarkets to better understand flatbed demand, particularly in the single-family construction market. Dean Croke (DC): Residential construction numbers for August were just released this morning by the U.S. Census Bureau. Are you surprised by the 4% decrease in single-family housing statistics? Dustin Jalbert…
In the post-pandemic world, many truckers find themselves in truck stops where restaurants have not yet re-opened. If they are open, they’re typically so short-staffed the delays can become frustrating. Gone are the days of home-style cooking at privately owned truck stops where everyone knew each others’ names. Today, many truck stops have been inundated…
After a relatively uneventful Atlantic hurricane season to date, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has upgraded its 2023 forecast through the end of November. This comes just as the first landfalling hurricane of the 2023 season slammed the Florida Gulf Coast. Scientists at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National…