Freight market year in review for brokers

Everyone can succeed when the sun is shining. But when there’s a downpour, you need a metaphorical umbrella and the tools to plan the adventures you’ll have when the sun shines. If you’re reading this, it means you have the largest umbrella on the planet, DAT analytics.  Pricing  It’s no secret that spot pricing has…

Where does our winter produce come from anyway?

We’re a few weeks away from the official start of winter, but we’re already seeing the annual shift in produce farming to warmer southern latitudes. At the start of December, the number one domestically produced commodity being hauled by truckload carriers is, not surprisingly, potatoes (18% of weekly volume). After all, it is harvest season…

Dry van report: Contract and spot market freight shippers continue to save using intermodal

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…

Reefer report: Truckload produce demand lags in most regions except the Pacific Northwest

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…