Articles

Trucking

Julie Thuston

How an End-to-End Strategy Can Help You Overcome The Capacity Crunch – Unyson

The 2018 capacity crunch has created what many consider one of the most challenging markets we’ve ever seen. Today’s shrinking driver pool faces an upcoming wave of retirements and disinterested millennials, resulting in constrained truck availability. The ELD mandate has also impacted capacity, with restrictions on the amount of hours driven in a day leading […]

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Bob Farrell

5 Ways to Mitigate High Freight Rates

Consistent economic growth in industries dependent on logistics has increased freight demand, creating more loads than available trucks. Spot market rates are up 25 to 35 percent over 2017, and analysts expect tight capacity and higher costs to continue into 2019. The main factors impacting the current freight market during this historic time include: Driver […]

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Preparing for the Rough Road Ahead: Taking a Long-Term Look at How the Driver Shortage Is Affecting LTL

According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the industry expected a driver shortage of more than 50,000 at the end of 2017. Unfortunately, it’s projected to only get worse. By the ATA’s projections, the shortage could extend to more than 174,000 drivers by 2026. Here are some of the leading factors affecting the shortage and […]

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Ed Moran

Now Is the Time to Take Action to Combat Carrier Capacity Issues – Transporeon Group

Q: What are carriers saying about the capacity situation right now? A: The strong economy, increased manufacturing output, driver shortage and other industry developments have all combined to put the highest demands on capacity in years. Capacity utilization rates are at 95% and higher, in both the spot and contract markets. Higher demand points seem […]

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Truck Driver Shortage Solution: Recruit Generation Z

Truck Driver Shortage Solution: Recruit Generation Z

Truck driver retention and recruitment consistently top the list of concerns for the transportation sector. The industry will need to hire roughly 900,000 new drivers to keep up with demand throughout the next decade, according to the American Trucking Associations. As millennials become more seasoned professionals and more immersed in their current industries, leaders at […]

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Driver Pay and Benefits Rise

Driver pay has climbed as rising demand for freight transportation services raises competition for increasingly scarce drivers, according to data gathered from more than 100,000 drivers in the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) latest Driver Compensation study. "Fleets are reacting to an increasingly tight market for drivers by boosting pay, improving benefit packages, and offering other […]

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Truck Driver Shortage: When Will Autonomous Trucks Fill the Gap?

Not that long ago, San Francisco-based Embark announced its first cross-country trip by a self-driving truck. Along with Uber, Tu Simple, and Starsky Robotics, Embark is working on the autopilot technology for long-haul trucks. Self-driving trucks will result in disruption; the question is “When?” Given that the economic benefits are enormous, the self-driving revolution is […]

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Trucking Challenges Impact SCM

It is no secret that the current state of the U.S. trucking industry has had several negative impacts on logistics and supply chain management. The shortage of drivers and ripple effect from the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate have caused trucking delays and pricing increases across the country, and are now affecting global supply chains. […]

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ELDs: Ready or Not, Here They Come

While most owner-operators are ready for the ELD mandate, many are unhappy with the electronic logs, and blame them for a loss of productivity and a resulting decline in income, finds a recent DAT survey of 645 carriers and owner-operators. In addition, it’s harder to find parking for trucks, driver detention remains a problem, and […]

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FedEx Reserves 20 Tesla Semi Electric Trucks

FedEx Reserves 20 Tesla Semi Electric Trucks

FedEx Corp. has placed a reservation for 20 Tesla Semi trucks. Less-than-truckload unit FedEx Freight will operate the fully electric trucks, which are scheduled to begin production in 2019. This new big rig will deliver a far better experience for truck drivers, while increasing safety and significantly reducing the cost of cargo transport, according to […]

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Trucking Shortage: Buckle Up for Worsening Conditions

The United States has been facing a severe trucking shortage since the electronic logging device (ELD) implementation in late 2017 exacerbated capacity issues. More than four months in and the crunch does not only seem far from easing but appears likely to worsen. Trucking spot rates are 28 percent higher through March 23, 2018 than […]

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In It for the Long Haul

This first of its kind Heavy Haul Freight Carrier Survey of 258 heavy haul truckers, co-sponsored by FR8Star and Comdata, yields some interesting trends: Nine out of 10 truckers say they are tech savvy, suggesting the myth of the anti-tech trucker is just that—a myth. Of the almost one-quarter (22 percent) of truckers who have […]

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Capacity Crunch? Carriers Weigh In

Capacity Crunch? Carriers Weigh In

Shippers express concern about finding capacity, but how do carriers see the situation? To find out, Transporeon Group, a cloud-based supply chain execution platform provider, surveyed its base of more than 3,000 North American logistics service providers. Most carriers surveyed claim they are at capacity utilization rates of 95 percent and higher, both in the […]

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How to Contain Rising Truckload Prices

You’ve no doubt seen your truckload shipping costs skyrocket. If you’re a niche user—flatbed or refrigerated—you’re probably reeling at the price increases. Your brokers tell you prices will moderate; they’re wrong. Let’s explore strategies to help you contain increasing prices. Let’s talk about why these prices are here to stay. First and foremost, the driver […]

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Slowing Down the Driver Shortage

The driver shortage has been an issue in the transportation industry for well over a decade. Carriers need to develop successful tactics and strategies for recruiting and retaining drivers in order to remain competitive. Carriers must first focus on findingdrivers who are not only qualified and driven, but also a fit for the company’sculture. To […]

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