LTL

With US truckload capacity tight, shippers are investigating any alternative method possible to get their freight off the docks.

As sure as cherry blossoms are a sign of spring, a widespread bump up in US truck and intermodal pricing indicates stronger economic activity in the second quarter. Those increases also underscore pricing trends that will challenge shippers as the spring retail and produce seasons kick into higher gear.

In the electronic logging device era, shippers will have to do more than offer drivers a cup of java and a key to the bathroom if they want access to US truck capacity at reasonable rates. Here is an infographic that provides a quick-reference list to help keep shippers' goods moving.

Full enforcement of the electronic logging device mandate began April 1, but inspectors issued a slew of violations in early 2018, federal data show.

DAT and Truckstop.com report that dry van rates have spiked as the new "spring peak" season picks up pace. Furthermore, truckers expect pricing and volumes to stay on an upward track through autumn.

In the electronic logging device era, shippers will have to do more than offer drivers a cup of java and a key to the bathroom if they want access to truck capacity at reasonable rates.

US truck capacity may get worse before it gets better, as electronic logging device enforcement begins this month with anywhere from 10 to 25 percent of drivers not having the required device in their cabs. Even so, shippers can use tips described here to keep their freight moving with minimal disruption.

Shippers should be aware that there are anecdotal reports that questionable forms of co-brokering or double brokering are on the rise in 2018, as the supply of US trucks tightens and some brokers look to make a quick buck. During these instances, shippers essentially fund a double commission and could be exposed to financial damages, delays or lawsuits when things go wrong.

As the electronic logging device mandate enforcement deadline looms, Trucker Path and Convoy have introduced new features to help truckers and shippers manage driver time in the digital era.

Activity-based pay made possible by electronic logging devices and other technology may lead to trucking firms offering drivers more incentives and shippers a more transparent view of costs.

Shippers are moving so much freight that there are not enough US trucks to move it, causing them to pay rates and surcharges in February not seen in more than 3.5 years for truckload, container drayage, and intermodal rail.

A reporter’s notebook from this week’s Transportation & Logistics Council meeting shows shippers and their suppliers grappling with big trends and fine details, from e-commerce to freight claims.

After two years in an economic rut, US trucking accelerated in 2017, led by less-than-truckload carriers before truckload carriers merged into the same fast lane later in the year.

The integration of several subsidiaries under Ascent Global Logistics is meant to strengthen domestic and international capabilities, as well as give shippers inroads to capacity.

Agricultural shippers, especially livestock owners, and truckers will get some relief this produce season via an extension of a temporary waiver of the ELD mandate. Other groups are pressing for longer waivers, as the rollout of the ELD mandate throws supply chains out of whack.

A surge in trucking traffic combined with a truck driver shortage is taxing European shippers.

For years, North American shippers were warned a truck capacity crunch was coming, but that crunch never materialized. This year, with the accelerating US economy, that crunch finally arrived. That is pushing up inland supply chain costs and transport rates across the board, and shippers should not expect relief soon.

Hub Group is levying surcharges on some shippers in Chicago, LA, Seattle, Dallas, and Atlanta on excess freight. Shippers said the fees range from $150 to $600. J.B. Hunt is also limiting the amount of excess freight accepted from shippers in certain markets but has not instituted surcharges.

Smaller less-than-truckload (LTL) players shot past larger competitors in the Top 25 rankings last year, as a stronger US economy and freight volumes benefited all LTL and truckload haulers.

Despite a big surge in net truck orders, shippers should not expect near-term relief from the US truck capacity crunch. Registration numbers have also increased, but have not erased shortages.

By adding terminals and building density in areas such as Texas and the Northeast, less-than-truckload trucking company Saia is positioning its assets closer to capacity-hungry customers.

US shippers will like the additional capacity less-than-truckload (LTL) trucking companies plan to provide this year — but they will not like the LTL price increases that are sure to come. Still, the added revenue will fund much-needed investments in capital and talent.

US trucking capacity is tightening faster than anticipated in the electronic logging era, and some shippers say that is making it tougher and costlier to move freight as they navigate between higher costs and increasingly constrictive customer demands.

As the electronic logging era begins, Echo Global Logistics warns shippers transit times are getting longer and costs are rising in shorter trucking lanes.

US surface transportation rates are rising, sometimes by double digits, and shippers find themselves caught between paying for higher transportation costs or imperiling customer service.

Roadrunner, which restated several years’ earnings, said its turnaround plan will satisfy shippers and investors. And the company has these three factors as tailwinds: shippers stuck with them, truck demand is strong, and there is a market for freight that is a day slower but considerably cheaper.

These days, shippers want freight delivered in 'a New York minute,' and regional LTL carrier A. Duie Pyle is adding a terminal in the Bronx, New York, while reconfiguring its local network, to get closer to Big Apple customers.

Expected and unexpected challenges have marked the start of the electronic logging device mandate era — magnifying shipper concerns about inadequate truck capacity and rising rates.

US freight rates are set to rise not just this year, but into the near future, analysts predict. However, there is an upside for shippers to the strengthening US/global economies that are pushing up freight rates.

In particular, the FMCSA will focus on accelerating tests of autonomous vehicle technologies, believing they have the potential to significantly reduce crashes.

Capacity, not price, is king once again.

This is certain regarding the trucking industry in 2018: it will be the year of time management, as the electronic logging mandate makes supply chains less and less flexible while freight demand rises.

Spot rates for truckload, intermodal services keep rising, putting pressure on contract rates that may last well into 2018.

James Welch, the executive credited with saving one of the largest less-than-truckload companies, will retire next July, as economic growth buoys the LTL business.

Even as demand for truck-transported cargo rises, truck companies are struggling to add drivers, due to competition from better-paying jobs in other sectors.

The upcoming electronic logging device mandate could affect more than truck capacity available to shippers.

Owner-operators and small carriers opposed to electronic logging are still hoping for a last-minute reprieve.

The freight boom that began absorbing truck capacity in September still has legs.

Shippers must acquaint themselves with the requirements of the regulation and its likely impact on US trucking capacity and supply chains.

Pressure on US truck, intermodal pricing stays steady.