The first quarter was one of those "good news, bad news" stories for freight brokers. The good news was a big increase in gross margins, which rebounded to 16% from 13% in Q1 of 2018. The reason for this improvement was a sharp drop in spot market rates, which is what the brokers pay to hire a truck. When that cost of "purchased transportation" declined, the brokers got to keep more of the money that their shipper customers paid them for… Read More

When a carrier searches for a load on DAT load boards, they'll often get dozens of results, especially on popular lanes. So how can a broker make that load post stand out from the pack? Posting an attractive rate will help, but beyond that, carriers want to work with brokers they can trust. And an important gauge of that trust is the broker's credit score and days to pay, which carriers see right next to… Read More

Just when we thought spring had finally arrived, van rates cooled off again last week on the spot market. More loads moved than in any other week this year, but there are still plenty of trucks available, so load-to-truck ratios declined despite the additional volume. The national average load-to-truck ratio for vans has lingered at or below 2 loads per truck since… Read More

Reefer loads saw a sharp increase last week, but just as we saw with vans, there appeared to be enough capacity to absorb the demand. Volumes from California jumped 13% last week, while Florida and Arizona saw about a 10% increase. While several markets experienced price increases, it wasn't enough to boost the national… Read More

After declining for several weeks, van rates seem to have turned a corner. The national average rate for May so far is $1.82/mi., which is above the April average. Individual lane rates are also trending upward. Last week on the top 100 van lanes 53 were up, 35 were down and 12 were neutral. It's been six weeks since we've seen more rising lanes than falling. Spring has also brought increased demand: last week the… Read More

It's been a slow spring for fresh produce, but there are some hot spots, especially in the southernmost states. Freight volumes surged about 25% out of both Miami and Lakeland, FL, and some lanes about of Florida saw rates jump as much as 85¢ per mile. That helped boost the national average reefer rate to $2.18/mi., which is 3¢ higher than the April average. Here's what's happening in some of the top reefer… Read More

I got started early in candy logistics. After I got my MBA in transportation, I managed a fleet based in Melrose Park, IL, and negotiated rates with the suppliers at E.J. Brach. I was in my 30s at the time, and I told the guy that I’d been handling Brach's candy for 25 years. That's because my father was a candy jobber – a small, regional distributor who serviced all kinds of accounts. Dad worked with a regional pool… Read More

When I’m out on the road, I try to make hygiene and appearance a top priority. Living on the road is rough, but I like feeling comfortable with myself. I also want to appear professional, because I take my business seriously. Staying squared away requires time management, though, so a lot of the tricks I use focus on saving time. Unless you need a full 10 hours of sleep when doing your HOS reset, then this is the best… Read More

Although van freight volumes recovered following Easter week, it wasn't enough to boost the national average van rate, which remains at $1.81/mi. That's 4¢ below the March average, as truck availability has kept prices in check throughout April. On the top 100 van lanes last week, 37 lanes were up, 51 were down and 12 were neutral. Some good news: freight volumes are higher this year than they've been the past 3 years (see chart at… Read More

Expectations of a post-Easter rebound failed to materialize in reefer produce freight last week. Truckload demand in Florida continued to build, especially late in the week, but rates were mixed. Lakeland, FL had about 20% more loads, but Miami saw loads fall about 8%. On the top reefer lanes last week, rates increased in 27 lanes, decreased in 41, and 4 lanes remained neutral. The national average reefer rate so far for April is… Read More