Chart of the Week

Although many questions remain for trucking in 2021, flatbed appears to be poised for a much stronger year.

Freight volumes have exploded out of southern California over the past two years. Is this pattern sustainable?

Consumer spending on goods drove the majority of the freight boom in 2020. Will this trend last in 2021?

Class 8 truck orders are surging signaling carriers are once again willing to invest in their fleets. Does this mean another overcorrection of capacity is in store?

Imports continue to pile up as shippers and carriers take time for the holidays. They may come back to a mess.

Transportation providers may spend January unclogging supply chains as warehouse capacity has become a precious commodity thanks to the continued influx of imports.

Spot rates continued to increase after the holiday period ended even as capacity returned to the market according to the Outbound Tender Reject Index.

Cold chain distribution shifts following the pandemic along with a much smaller supply of available base capacity has made the reefer carrier a much more valuable commodity this year.

Capacity is historically tight in trucking, pushing spot rates and profit margins higher. How much of this momentum will carriers be able to maintain?

Temperature-controlled equipment rates are already breaking records, could the vaccine distribution push them higher?

Trucking and rail volumes remain elevated while the imports fade. Is this is beginning of the end of the 2020 freight boom?

Record trucking volumes along with shrinking refinery production could make fuel prices an overlooked threat to carrier margins and shipping costs into 2021.

Import volumes continue to fuel the surface transportation boom. Will it last into 2021?

Reefer carrier revenues are expanding rapidly as capacity tightens faster for the temperature-controlled segment of trucking.

Carriers are investing in new trailers over tractors during the most recent freight boom. What does this mean for capacity in the future?

Freight volumes are not the only thing putting pressure on capacity.

Trucking spot rates are averaging well over what they were a year ago implying many shippers will see rates increase next year. How much will it be?

Transportation costs are hitting record levels as companies struggle to grab capacity amidst an unusually early peak season.

Shippers are willing to pay more to put freight on the rail just to get it moving out of Los Angeles.

International import bookings signal continued strength in the domestic freight market.