Articles

Trucking

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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Multi-Stop Steps

Multi-Stop Steps

If you suspect that carriers reject multi-stop truckloads more often than single-stop loads, you’re only partially right. While carriers dislike specific factors about multi-stop, you can employ some strategies to make multi-stop freight more attractive to carriers and better control your costs. Here are four ways shippers can reduce rates and increase acceptance of multi-stop […]

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Tracking Trucking

Data scientists at fleet management solutions provider Omnitracs recently conducted some research into what the trucking industry looked like in 2016 vs. 2017. The main findings revolved around Hours of Service (HOS) and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) metrics. HOS takeaways, based on data from January to October for 2016 and 2017 Drivers on average drove […]

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How to Navigate the Driver Shortage

The industry’s driver shortage is no secret. About 100,000 seats need to be filled at a time when the pipeline for new drivers is getting thinner. But what’s the practical impact on shippers as this shortage gets worse? In short, it won’t be pretty. Tighter capacity will lead to fewer choices. Regulations mandating the use […]

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