The ports of Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia’s deepwater ports, together with inland terminals in Chatsworth, Bainbridge, and Columbus, are Georgia’s gateways to the world. According to data from IHS Markit, Savannah exported the second-highest number of reefer containers in December last year (14% of the total) behind Oakland, CA (17%). Savannah ranks number four on…
Record-level wage increases over the past three years continued well into the fourth quarter of 2022, according to data compiled by The National Transportation Institute (NTI). Gains in base wages — mileage and hourly pay — were reported across fleet type, industry segment, driver job type, and all experience levels. Likewise, motor carriers and private…
After the pandemic pushed truckload rates into record-setting highs, the freight marketplace entered a down cycle in 2022. This puts motor carriers in a very different position entering the new year. Higher expenses affect all businesses, but motor carriers operating in the spot market have felt the pain more than most, caught between falling linehaul…
The high cost of diesel got everyone’s attention in the second half of 2022, but Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) was already way ahead of the game. Based in Las Cruces, NM, the 2,100 truck fleet is as eye-catching as it is energy efficient. Al Muskewitz, Editor in Chief at HireMaster, the job search engine for…
On top of the solid report on mortgage volume earlier today comes another hopeful report from the construction industry. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) says builder confidence in the new home market has improved for the first time in January after 12 straight months of declines. According to NAHB’s chief economist Robert Dietz,…
What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, we were talking about constrained truckload capacity and surging demand, as disruptions and bottlenecks piled up to wreak havoc on supply chains. A year later, transportation providers and purchasers have a different cloud of uncertainty hanging over them – the economy. Is a recession coming (or…
The current inverted market – where contract rates are well above spot rates – has presented plenty of opportunities for brokers. The historic gap between those rates has allowed for larger profit margins than were possible during the height of the pandemic. That gap will not continue indefinitely, and the shifting markets put a greater…
The results from last year’s Operation Safe Driver Week give carriers and drivers of preview of what’s in store this year. Last July, Canadian and U.S. officers pulled over more than 35,000 commercial motor and passenger vehicles. They issued 26,164 warnings and citations to commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe…
Last December, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced plans to require every commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operating in interstate commerce to be equipped with electronic identification (ID) technology. This proposed technology could wirelessly communicate a unique ID number when queried by Federal or State motor carrier safety…
A series of atmospheric river events has brought much-needed rain to California and some relief to dried-out almond farmers. Multi-year drought conditions should ease boosting reservoir levels. However, according to the latest reports, levels are still below the Jan average, with a lot of excess rain expected to end up in the ocean. Produce supply…