Explore shipper sentiment and freight market trends in a soft October.
“The supply-demand balance may retrench in the coming months…”
Truckload contract rates have been remarkably stable over the past few years, but they are about to be tested over the next 12 months.
The ‘driver shortage’ myth might finally die.
Truckload demand has collapsed, largely due to the loss of transcontinental freight to intermodal, but tender rejection and spot rates remain on par to slightly higher than last year, an indication that capacity is under far more pressure than demand.
A white paper and webinar analyze the trucking market’s sudden shift.
The truckload contract market has fallen into stagnation after what looked like a transition late last year. What are the takeaways heading into the late year bid season?
Shippers can find relevant, safe carriers inside SCI even faster.
Chart of the Week: Outbound Tender Volume Index – USA SONAR: OTVI.USA The national Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI), which measures truckload demand, jumped 6.5% in the week and a half leading up to the Labor Day holiday weekend. While an increase is typical for this period, the scale of this rise is unusual. Let’s break down […]
Hotlanta’s tender rejections peaked at 11.2%.
Surface transportation rates took a hard right to start the year, thanks to shifting supply chain strategies and a slowing economy. Is this just a pause or is there further to fall?
Chart of the Week: Carrier Details Net Revocations – USA SONAR: CDNR.USA Carrier Net Revocations—which measure how many truckload operators (businesses) are exiting the industry—have remained unseasonably elevated throughout the first half of the year. The current pace of exits is 16% higher than during the same period in 2024. Although new authority issuances have increased this […]
Data from shippers’ searches for capacity is piped into broker CRMs with CarrierSource’s newly launched Shipper Data Intent feature.
Shippers are giving longer notice for contracted truckload carriers to pick up their freight. What does this mean?
With the freight recession seemingly in the rearview mirror, FreightWaves’ transportation market experts advise on how to prepare for 2025.
Hurricane Milton was the third large disruptor to transportation markets in three weeks. What happens next?
Many of the signs of the end to the freight recession have faded, at least in the short run. A strike and the aftermath of a major hurricane are looming disruptors but probably not enough to sustainably shift the market. But the data still points to the end of this historically loose environment.
The truckload market appears to be increasingly stable through a period when it normally isn’t. While the immediate future appears uneventful, the holiday shipping season is anything but certain.
Operating cost inflation is largely hidden, but fuel costs help explain why the domestic truckload market is headed for a turn.
Heavy truck orders are not an indicator of for-hire truckload market health and haven’t been since the pandemic ended.
The current level of deterioration is historically fast, meaning the truckload market has the increasing potential to flip to a much tighter environment without much notice.
The overall freight transportation market may be soft but the natural imbalance in the flow of freight is still able to create pockets of tightness.
FreightWaves latest SONAR data addition suggests a wave of truckload capacity exits is coming this winter.
Large carriers finally started shedding capacity this summer.
The less-than-truckload sector has been disrupted by a very public dispute between Yellow and the Teamsters. Rates have already seemingly responded and may continue to see support.
If the spread between contract and spot rates narrows, capacity will become increasingly inconsistent in the second half of the year.
What do historically low rejection rates mean for the truckload industry?
Echo Global Logistics’ contractual sourcing and continuous movement programs are helping owner-operators stay the course amid market volatility.
FreightWaves new spot rate forecast supports a slow start to trucking’s peak season.
For many over-the-road drivers, a major source of their meals can come from C-store locations built into truck stops like Love’s, Flying J and Pilot.
Importers have been shifting to the East Coast since 2021, but the full realization of this has peaked over the summer. The shifting import pattern has strong downstream effects for surface transportation providers.
FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes the impact of rising diesel costs on the spot market and the trucking industry.
Not all loads are created equal in trucking. Loads moving across the country have a much greater impact on capacity and subsequently spot rates and they are disappearing at an astonishing rate compared to their shorter counterparts.
Many transportation managers and providers are expecting a return to a simpler time, but the data shows simpler times may be a thing of the past.
FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller explains the boom and bust cycle of the trucking industry.
FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes methods to generate more revenue in a trucking downturn.
Stability lulled transportation managers and providers to sleep in the six years post-recession. The roller-coaster ride of the last four may be more indicative of their future.
FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller provides commentary/analysis on the trucking industry’s “driver shortage.”
FreightWaves SONAR API/Tai TMS customers have a new method to get FreightWaves TRAC and SONAR Capacity Lane Score data.
FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller writes about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the U.S. freight system
Carriers are pricing themselves into the markets with the highest rates, which is further fueling the capacity shortage.
Carriers are working hard on covering the high-priced West Coast freight, leaving shippers in the Northeast wanting.
What is exciting for 2022, autonomous trucks make a big jump, Amazon shopping addicts by state, and FMCSA is hiring … again.
Trucking trends of 2021: Buying growth, expanding capabilities It’s the end of the year and for the trucking industry, disruption, record profits and new opportunities are all major themes to consider when predicting trends to watch in 2022. The trucking expansions into the LTL space and final mile and acquisitions of regional carriers indicate strategic […]
Capacity crunch: Competition for carriers brings rising costs, new opportunities Continued freight demand and limited truckload supply are allowing trucking companies to be selective with which loads to take, causing greater competition among shippers. Customer characteristics are playing a key role in contract and spot rate negotiations with carriers reevaluating their customer mix based on […]
Dedicated trucking becomes more committed, truck parking capacity crunch, consumer spending sky high
Pumpkin growers across the U.S. have dealt with everything from invasive fungus to extreme weather to supply chain issues leading up to Halloween this year.
While shortages are being blamed for the bulk of the capacity shortages in transportation, the balance of the movement of goods has become incredibly lopsided.
Transportation rate growth has gone parabolic as shipping demand continues to strain networks. What are the fundamental reasons for this and how long will these conditions persist?
Used truck prices continued to hit new highs each of the last six months according to ACT Research. Prices will eventually become too much of a burden for small fleets and owner-operators to bear, if they haven’t already.
Craig Fuller explains why supply chains are so messed up!
Understanding the differences among truckloads
Warehouse robotics firm Geek+ and warehouse technology provider WSR Solutions say their combined solution for mixed-pallet picking and loading can increase truck capacity by as much as 30%.
The hunger crisis in America has not disappeared, and Move for Hunger, a nonprofit that connects trucking capacity to groups with food to donate, is on the hunt for more partners to assist, including refrigerated fleets willing to help.
Rapidly changing shipping patterns and cost structures have made historical comparisons much more challenging for the freight market.
Two of the nation’s largest centers for outbound freight demand saw record low levels of carrier acceptance rates this past week. This comes as the worst of the COVID capacity crunch appeared to be in the rearview mirror.
Picking up the phone before partnering up can help identify ill-suited broker-shipper relationships and avoid costly mistakes.
Capacity is retightening in California as demand surges once again. There are new patterns emerging that may lead to a battle for capacity between the two coasts.
FreightWaves adds a new way to measure capacity changes in the domestic freight market to its SONAR platform.
Shippers may have had a little more success with contracted carriers in May, but it came at a high cost.
In 2019 shippers crammed warehouses full of inventory coinciding with a stagnant freight market. As warehousing capacity tightens, could this contribute to the already tight transportation space?
The industrial sector is trying to recover faster than transportation can react. There are numerous factors limiting the economic recovery, illustrating that it is harder to turn production back on than off.
Many carriers expanded their fleets after the 2018 freight boom and were rewarded with an extremely challenging oversupplied market in 2019. The current pattern looks eerily similar to early 2018, but are they comparable?
One of the results of the 2017-18 freight market boom was an increase in the cost of operating that held over into a slower 2019 when capacity became abundant. Costs are on the rise once again as carriers struggle to find drivers to capture market share.
Imports have fueled the domestic freight economy over the past year. That growth continues out of the traditional peak season with shippers booking maritime capacity in April. Could this translate to a record summer for trucking?
Working with carriers, adapting to their needs and appreciating them are essential strategies in a freight market with tight capacity, NFI and BlueGrace executives say during a fireside chat at FreightWaves’ 3PL Summit.
Stockholm-based electric trucking company Einride conducted a survey to gain insights into women’s views on a career in the trucking industry and how technology and autonomy impact interest.
The underlying fundamentals of the market are showing signs of moving slowly back toward a more stable scenario and spot rates may be unable to paint the full picture.
Consumer Brands Association study calls for establishing a federal Office of Supply Chain to coordinate public-private strategies.
The latest round of winter weather hit transportation hard. How does this compare to other events?
Although many questions remain for trucking in 2021, flatbed appears to be poised for a much stronger year.
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.
Early signs about the end of tight capacity begin to surface.
Buying online and picking up in store puts massive pressure on redistribution centers.
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?
Zach and Anthony cover the latest trends impacting the cold chain with special guest Zac Rogers. Apple Podcast Spotify Sticher Watch the video
Carriers are investing in new trailers over tractors during the most recent freight boom. What does this mean for capacity in the future?
Zach and Anthony cover the latest in the logistics industry with special guest, Zac Rogers Apple Podcast Spotify Sticher Watch the video
Teamsters and YRC Worldwide agree to implement $7,500 hiring bonuses to new drivers. YRC will select the regions for the new bonus pay but the local unions have the autonomy to decline them.
The technology needs to be modular, meaning you can pick and choose how you want to instrument your fleet.
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?
Zach and Anthony discuss the mini-bid trend and the economic uncertainty going into 2021. Presented by Amazon Freight. Amazon Freight Apple Podcast Spotify Sticher Watch the video
Anthony and Zach talk about driver retention and recruitment issues and how they will contribute to keeping the spot market for trucking active through the rest of 2020.
Anthony and Zach have Dr. Matt Waller, dean of Sam M. Walton College of Business, professor of supply chain management at Arkansas, on to discuss the importance of leadership in transportation, as well as how supply chains are evolving as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented by Amazon Freight. Amazon Freight Apple Podcast Spotify […]
Anthony and Zach discuss the latest Logistics Managers’ Index results with guest Dr. Zac Rogers as well as what is driving the continued tightening of the domestic freight market. Presented by Amazon Freight. Apple Podcast Spotify Sticher Watch the video
Critics see a FMCSA proposal as extension of driver workday.
As trucking capacity tightens and spot rates rise, driver turnover increases. Are some of them leaving the industry for good?
Zach and Anthony cover the latest in the freight economy. Special guest and Senior Economist Dustin Jalbert joins to discuss the lumber market.
Major trucking companies have warned of capacity shakeout.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, a tight trucking market could hamper Hurricane Laura recovery efforts plus Tyson Foods steps up and spot rates could be ready to rise.
Hurricane Laura hit at a time when trucking capacity is unusually tight, a fact that may hinder the recovery efforts.
Anthony and Zach discuss the potential impact of Hurricane Laura to the freight market and bring on special guest Chris Bryant, a flatbed owner-operator, for insight on what is happening on the road.
Joined by special guest Zac Rogers, Anthony and Zach discuss the current freight market’s propensity to overachieve over the past few months and explore reasons why that will persist or crumble.
The last time capacity tightened to this level, capacity flooded the trucking space. Will the same outcome occur in 2020?
Wait times have fallen as as shippers compete for capacity. What is the connection between capacity and detention?
Zach and Anthony go over surprising trends that are popping up going into the second half of 2020, and the headwinds facing the economy. Apple Podcast Spotify Sticher Watch the video
Chart of the Week: Total Rail Carloads, Chemical Rail Carloads, Motor Vehicle Rail Carloads – USA SONAR: RTOTC.USA, RTOCH.USA, RTOMV.USA The latest rail carload data is showing that the industrial side of the economy, which is the backbone for a large amount of freight movement in the U.S., has finally started to recover after hovering on the […]
