Truckload Indexes

Chris Henry Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Tackling driver turnover part 4: Communication and social needs

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) By Ray Haight, TCA Retention Coach An old saying goes “Silence speaks louder than words” and this can be especially true if your company doesn’t have an effective, robust communication strategy in place. If you aren’t using your words to effective communicate, I would guess that your retention numbers are suffering much by […]

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Chris Henry Friday, March 1, 2019

Let’s end the distractions from true industry-wide solutions

IMAGE: JIM ALLEN / FREIGHTWAVES By TCA Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Heller & TCA Manager of Government Affairs Kathryn Sanner February saw the start of Congress’ work on infrastructure reform. The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee has held two hearings on the subject so far, with more to come. The Senate Commerce Committee […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, February 28, 2019

ELD data is the jackpot for key performance indicators

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, “What are the best KPIs that we/I should be tracking in my/our business?”. The answer can be dramatically different depending on your operating mode and model. To exacerbate the problem, from a benchmarking (comparison) point […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Truck spills 40k pounds of broccoli across Atlanta freeway

Ashley Coker IMAGE: WIKIPEDIA COMMONS About 40,000 pounds of broccoli was scattered across a metro Atlanta freeway after a truck overturned earlier this month. The broccoli was not met with the same zeal from passersby as last month’s frozen chicken spill. After a truck spilled chicken tenders across an Alabama highway, local law enforcement officials […]

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Chris Henry Friday, February 22, 2019

Knowing vs. Doing: Part 2 – The Importance of Designing an Effective Organizational Structure

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Guest Authors: Tim Almack – Partner – Katz, Sapper & Miller (KSM) & David Roush – President – KSM Transport Advisors (KSMTA) This is the second article in a five-part series related to isolating and understanding the gap which exists between Knowing and Doing in your business.Prior to our recent TCA Profitability Seminar […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, February 21, 2019

Pennsylvania appeals court rules no-hire clause invalid

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES The third-party logistics provider (“3PL”) in this case had a clause in its Motor Carriage Services Contract with a non-exclusive trucking company. The clause prevented the trucking company (“carrier”) from hiring or trying to hire any of the 3PL’s employees while the two companies were still […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Food and beverage shipments most targeted in cargo theft incidents

Ashley Coker IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Food and beverages were among the top commodities targeted in North American cargo theft incidents last year, according to a recent report from BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions. BSI is a leading global provider of supply chain intelligence, auditing services, risk management compliance solutions and advisory services. The report […]

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Chris Henry Monday, February 18, 2019

Tackling driver turnover part 3: Safety

PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES By TCA Retention Coach Ray Haight So far we have talked about setting your retention and recruiting efforts up for success. We have also discussed the TPP Retention Project platform and the expectations for conduct throughout this effort and the importance of knowing where you are in the marketplace on driver wage. […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, February 14, 2019

Compliance does not, and never will, equal safety

(PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) By TCA Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Heller & TCA Manager of Government Affairs Kathryn Sanner By now, you have undoubtedly read the news that a new study by researchers from Northeastern University and the University of Arkansas suggests that electronic logging devices (ELDs) do not directly improve the safety of […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, February 12, 2019

TCA partners the Alliance for Toll Free Interstates to stop the spread of tolls across the country

(SOURCE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS) The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has partnered again this year with the Alliance for Toll Free Interstates (ATFI). ATFI is a national coalition comprised of individuals, businesses, and organizations working to maintain the longstanding policy of protecting existing interstates from new tolls. As a partner, TCA is working with like-minded businesses and […]

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Chris Henry Monday, February 11, 2019

Truckload carrier recognized as one of America’s best employers for diversity

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: TRUCKSTOCKIMAGES.COM) Forbes has named Covenant Transport (NASDAQ: CVTI) one of America’s Best Employers For Diversity in 2019. Coming in at number 463, Covenant was the only truckload carrier to make the list. Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to determine the top 500 employers for diversity. Statista anonymously surveyed 50,000 Americans […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, February 7, 2019

Average length of haul trends up contrary to expectations

Ashley Coker CHART: TCA DATA HOUSES INSIDE FREIGHTWAVES’ SONAR Average length of haul has been trending up since October 2018, according to TCA data housed inside FreightWaves’ SONAR. The data indicates average length of haul came in at 626 miles in October 2018, then climbed to 638 miles in November 2018. TCA’s average length of […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, February 6, 2019

National Labor Relations Board regional director rules unit of drivers to be separate from unit of dockworkers

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) The Union in this case sought to represent a unit of drivers at one of the carrier’s facilities.   Under the Union’s petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), only drivers would be represented. The carrier argued that the unit should be a “wall-to-wall” unit of all […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Tackling driver turnover part 2: The platform

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) In Part One, we talked about the delusion of the industry, the sales job to the “inside the walls” personnel, and a little about apathy. The next step, if you were to follow the process of the TCA Retention Program, would be to establish how we as a company conduct ourselves moving forward. […]

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Chris Henry Monday, February 4, 2019

Truck over posted weight limit brings down Arkansas bridge

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: YELL COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT) A professional truck driver attempted to cross a wooden bridge in rural Arkansas despite posted weight limit signs last week. Both the truck and the bridge ended up being submerged in the river below. A Yell County Sheriff’s Office issued a ticket to the driver for […]

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Chris Henry Friday, February 1, 2019

Highway angels: 10 drivers recognized for heroic acts on the road

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JOHN WESTON, CHALLENGER MOTOR FREIGHT, 2017 WINNER OF HIGHWAY ANGEL OF THE YEAR, AND NASHVILLE RECORDING ARTIST LINDSAY LAWLER, THE OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON OF THE HIGHWAY ANGEL PROGRAM) The Truckload Carriers Association has been recognizing Highway Angels, or professional truck drivers who demonstrate compassion and courage on the road, since its 1997 inception. […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, January 31, 2019

Calling out the good guys: TCA announces 2019 Best Fleets to Drive For

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) After a record-breaking year of nominations , the Truckload Carriers Association announced the 2019 Best Fleets to Drive For. The competition, hosted in conjunction with CarriersEdge, employs a four-pronged approach to identifying the best of the best. The competition is open to all for-hire trucking companies operating 10 trucks or more […]

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Chris Henry Friday, January 25, 2019

Can’t fly away from this problem: Trucks required to undergo spotted lanternfly inspections

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE) While most fleets along the East Coast are focused on keeping equipment and drivers well-equipped to handle winter weather, there’s another threat looming in the area: spotted lanternflies. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species from Asia that first appeared in Pennsylvania in 2014, according to The […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, January 23, 2019

New Prime v. Oliveira update: 17% of average truckload carrier’s drivers are owner operators

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) In New Prime v. Oliveira, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that changes the way arbitration agreements will be handled in the trucking industry, especially when leased owner operators are involved. A driver operating as an independent contractor filed a class action lawsuit against New Prime, claiming that the […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, January 22, 2019

TCA announces 2018 Driver of the Year finalists

Ashley Coker 2017 DRIVER OF THE YEAR CONTESTS – AWARDS PRESENTATION. PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER AND BIG G EXPRESS, INC.’S STEPHEN RICHARDSON WAS DEEMED THE 2017 COMPANY DRIVER OF THE YEAR. (PHOTO: TCA) The Truckload Carriers Association announced the finalists for the 2018 Driver of the Year contests last week, recognizing both company drivers and owner […]

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Chris Henry Monday, January 21, 2019

The Best Practice Groups: a better Board of Advisors

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Recently, during a conversation with a TPP Best Practice Group member, he relayed his initial motivation for applying to the program. After almost a decade of continued growth, and the advantage of a smart operations team, his company’s Operating Ratio hadn’t budged, in fact it was […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, January 17, 2019

A new congress means new infrastructure momentum

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) By TCA Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Heller & TCA Manager of Government Affairs Kathryn Sanner At this point in time, virtually everyone around the world, even in the most remote places, has undoubtedly heard the news that the United States government is divided and that we are in the midst of […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, January 16, 2019

FreightWaves launches award to recognize top-notch shippers

Click here to nominate your Shipper of Choice FreightWaves announces the Shipper of Choice Award, which will highlight the top 25 shippers in America as voted on by carrier-members of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). The winner of the award will be unveiled at Transparency19 in Atlanta this […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, January 15, 2019

What a clucking mess: Alabama sheriff warns against eating foul chicken from highway after truck crash

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) A truck hauling frozen chicken crashed in rural Alabama last week, spilling tenders onto the highway. The local sheriff’s office had to warn people against stopping to pick-up dinner from the scene of the accident. The crash happened on Alabama Highway 35 in Cherokee County, near the Georgia state line. It […]

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Chris Henry Monday, January 14, 2019

Wyoming DOT to add truck passing lanes, parking areas along dangerous stretch of interstate

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) The Wyoming Department of Transportation is embarking on a mission to improve safety conditions on a stretch of Interstate 80 that is prone to brutal winter conditions and high crash rates. Plans include creating passing lanes and adding truck parking areas. WYDOT will fund the project, dubbed the I-80 Winter […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, January 9, 2019

TCA announces division winners in 43rd Annual Fleet Safety Awards

(PHOTO: TCA) Eighteen Companies with Outstanding Safety Records Now Eligible for Two Grand Prizes The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has selected 18 companies as division winners in its 43rd Annual Fleet Safety Awards. Sponsored by Great West Casualty Company, the awards recognize trucking companies who have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to safety. The top three […]

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Chris Henry Monday, January 7, 2019

The Trucking Alliance: ELD expansion, improved drug testing needed to eliminate truck crashes

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) The Trucking Alliance kicked off 2019 by reaffirming its commitment to safety and making its priority objectives known. Steve Williams, president of the Trucking Alliance Board of Directors, released a statement outlining the group’s focus. The Trucking Alliance is made-up of several well-known transportation companies, including Cargo Transporters, Dupré Logistics, […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, January 3, 2019

2018: A year in review

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) By Jack Porter, Managing Director, TCA Profitability Program 2018 was the best year for carrier profitability in the sixteen years of tracking the data for TCA. The market gave all Carriers an across-the-board increase in rates. Overall rate revenue grew 8-15%. Combined with the opportunity to grow their fleets (despite the tight labor […]

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Chris Henry Monday, December 31, 2018

Riverside Transport rolls out health initiative as part of driver first culture

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: FREIGHTWAVES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Riverside Transport is making strides toward helping drivers achieve better health in 2019. The carrier, which prizes itself on its driver first culture, offers drivers access to gym memberships and nutrition education to help them make better food choices. “We’re rolling out a big health initiative here. We have […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Daseke: The Flatbed Gorilla

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) If you’re in the Flatbed / Open Deck segment, you’re probably very familiar with the Daseke name. In recent years, Daseke has emerged as the de facto gorilla in this fragmented component of the North American transportation industry. Since 2015, they have added industry stalwarts such […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, December 20, 2018

Objectives and key results: Using OKRs to execute in 2019

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: MEASURE WHAT MATTERS) Objectives and Key Results: Using OKRs to execute in 2019 Earlier this year, TPP (TCA Profitability Program) member Steve Hitchcock, of Duncan & Son Lines, who is one of the most well-read people I know, enthusiastically recommended a book to me. Side note: If […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Getting more women behind the wheel, part two: Recruiting strategies and barriers to entry

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: FREIGHTWAVES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE 2017 MID AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW) During part one of this two-part series, Omnitracs Senior Data Scientist Emilie Worsham made the case for women drivers using performance and turnover data. In the second installment, P&S Transportation Vice President of Human Resources Kim Daigle will provide carriers with practical […]

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Chris Henry Friday, December 14, 2018

Video: Chris Henry discusses TCA Profitability Program, data sharing

Ashley Coker FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller interviewed Chris Henry, program manager of the TCA Profitability Program, about TPP and Truckload Indexes during Henry’s recent visit to FreightWaves’ Chattanooga, Tennessee headquarters. The pair hit on everything from data sharing to editorial collaboration. TPP was created to be a performance improvement solution for the trucking […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, December 13, 2018

Werner Enterprises: Focused on value

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: WERNER ENTERPRISES) Ever since Clarence Werner used his car as a down payment to purchase a 1956 Ford F-800 truck, effectively kick-starting his entrepreneurial journey, Werner Enterprises has been one of the de facto yardsticks from which all truckload carriers have measured themselves against. In absence of […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, December 12, 2018

How to optimize your freight network in any market

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: FREIGHTWAVES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Analysts agree that freight market improvements are likely to slow in 2019, and carriers need to prepare now in order to weather the slowdown as effectively as possible. KSM Transport Advisors Director of Analytics Kirby McLinn set out to help truckload carriers do just that during his presentation at […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Getting more women behind the wheel, part one: The data

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Between new data surfacing about women’s performance behind the wheel and the driver shortage, there has never been a clearer time for carriers’ to ramp up their efforts to hire more women. Omnitracs Senior Data Scientist Emilie Worsham made the case for women drivers using performance and turnover data during Women […]

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Chris Henry Monday, December 10, 2018

The 4 disciplines to a better trucking enterprise

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Recently, at an industry event, I was asked by a TPP member what my single largest career goal was. Luckily, I had already contemplated this exact question in my head for some time. The answer I provided was to “Increase the average Driver to Non-Driver ratio […]

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Chris Henry Friday, December 7, 2018

Interstate 59/20 through Birmingham to close for 14 months for bridge replacement

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION) Drivers traveling through Birmingham, Alabama should expect to spend extra time getting around the city for the next 14 months. Interstate 59/20 through the downtown area is expected to close for construction in January 2019. The anticipated reopening date is March 2020. Bridges will be rebuilt along I-59/20, […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, December 5, 2018

How to respond to unsolicited offers to buy your trucking business

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) It is not uncommon for trucking business owners to receive unsolicited offers to purchase their businesses. These instances have become more prevalent in the current market, thanks to a combination of factors, including the driver shortage and buyers’ ability to pay. “People are coming now because they need drivers. That is […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Video: TCA Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller talks ELDs, autonomous vehicles

FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller interviewed Truckload Carriers Association Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller about some of today’s most relevant issues facing the truckload industry during Heller’s recent visit to FreightWaves’ Chattanooga, Tennessee headquarters. The pair hit on everything from ELDs to autonomous vehicles. Heller said ELDs have changed the face of […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, December 4, 2018

FreightWaves Market Expert Dean Croke: Hours of sleep, part one

Dean Croke, Chief Insight Officer, FreightWaves Though the industry debates over driver safety, hours of service, shipper detention times, high driver turnover, and driver shortages, it still misses an important component that drives human performance. FreightWaves Market Expert Dean Croke recently took a look at the subject of sleep in a two-part series published in […]

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Chris Henry Monday, December 3, 2018

Marten Transport delivers the goods

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: MARTEN TRANSPORTATION) Since 2014, we’ve been closely following the publicly-traded truckload companies, and in 2015 we started embedding the results from these companies into the inGauge database. In addition, we have created and maintained a workbook of individual and group results for these companies. This has proven […]

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Chris Henry Saturday, December 1, 2018

Want to drive innovation? Go full skunk

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Two years ago, I had a very enlightening conversation with Thom Albrecht (now CFO at Celadon). We were talking about why innovation was so rare within trucking companies. Two key items came up during this discussion that rang true to me then, and still do now. […]

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Chris Henry Friday, November 30, 2018

Covenant Transport Solutions new VP of customer service aims to take brokerage division to the next level

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: TRUCKSTOCKIMAGES.COM) While some truckload carriers tend to treat their brokerage operations as hobbies or support functions, Chattanooga-based Covenant Transport (NASDAQ: CVTI) is committed to fostering a relevant and prosperous brokerage firm with Covenant Transport Solutions. New hire Ben Caplenor, vice president of customer service, plays an integral role in that mission. Caplenor’s […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, November 29, 2018

How truckload carriers can shield themselves from rising insurance premiums

Ashley Coker (CHART: DATA FROM TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION INSIDE FREIGHTWAVES’ SONAR) Despite many truckload carriers reporting record revenues and strong operating ratios in the second and third quarters, TCA data housed inside FreightWaves’ SONAR shows an anomalous jump in insurance expenses, spiking as high as 4.45% of total revenue at the end of October 2018. […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, November 28, 2018

TCA building profitability analytics for asset-based brokerages

John Paul Hampstead (CHART: DATA FROM TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION INSIDE FREIGHTWAVES’ SONAR) Roughly 65% of Truckload Carrier Association member fleets have structured brokerage operations, estimates Chris Henry, program manager of the TCA Truckload Profitability Program (TPP), but very few companies have insight into how their asset-light division stack up against their peers. The TCA is […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Providing driver health coaching could help carriers reduce turnover, costs

Ashley Coker (CHART: DATA FROM TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION AND DAT INSIDE FREIGHTWAVES’ SONAR) Whether you call it a driver shortage or a driver squeeze, it’s no secret that the trucking industry is struggling to attract and keep qualified drivers. HealthCheck360 Director of Health Coaching Trent Tangen focused on another issue he considers paramount in the […]

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Chris Henry Monday, November 26, 2018

Brokerage revenues drop at asset-based carriers as market deteriorates

Ashley Coker (CHART: DATA FROM TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION AND DAT INSIDE FREIGHTWAVES’ SONAR) Brokerage revenues dropped at asset-based carriers as the market deteriorated between June 2018 and August 2018, according to Truckload Carriers Association data and DAT spot rate data housed inside FreightWaves’ SONAR. TCA’s brokerage revenue data is collected from a sample of asset-based […]

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Chris Henry Saturday, November 24, 2018

Manual processes are slowly killing your business

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) You’ve done it a thousand times. Walking through operations, you’ve asked yourself, “Why am I paying these smart people to spend half their time doing mindless tasks and data entry? What if I could free up their time to allow them to do what they do […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, November 22, 2018

Swift offers drivers, dependents free college tuition through Drive for a Degree program

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SWIFT TRANSPORTATION) Drivers at Swift Transportation, a subsidiary of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KNX), now have the opportunity to earn college degrees online through Southern New Hampshire University’s College for America program. Swift announced that the company will cover tuition costs for drivers and eligible dependents as part its Drive for […]

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FreightWaves Staff Monday, November 12, 2018

Truckload Carriers Association and FreightWaves announce exclusive fleet benchmarking data and commentary partnership

The TCA and FreightWaves announced “Truckload Indexes”, a benchmark and commentary partnership that will provide near-time benchmarking of major operational and financial KPIs from best-in-class truckload carriers. This exclusive set of data points enable carriers of all sizes to compare how different data points impact the overall profitability and operating efficiency of truckload carriers.

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