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It's no secret that truckload rates aren't where they were a year ago. We don't expect prices to reach the same levels we saw in 2019, but we've been predicting a second quarter rebound for quite some time now -- really since last December, when we also said that we expected a softer than usual first quarter. A number of factors delayed that rebound, but there are signs emerging that it's finally here. The first delay was the scope of… Read More

Author Earl Nightingale once said that to get rich, you just have to find a need and fill it. In the eight years I’ve been an independent owner-operator, that's how I've tried to run my business. My company has never been awarded contract freight, so all of my loads have come from hundreds of freight brokers. Pinpointing a specific need and filling it is key to running the spot market .  Other than being able to drive a truck,… Read More

It’s natural to prefer predictability over surprise in many parts of your life, but as the axiom says, “change is inevitable.” That is especially true in the factors affecting the transportation industry, whether it’s the daily truckload rate from St. Louis to Chicago or the global supply and demand for oil or the interest rates for U.S. dollar-denominated debt. Last year was a year of extraordinary change. The… 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

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

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

After a strong first quarter, flatbed freight has slowed in April. It's been a wet month throughout the country, and there's been a slowdown in oil production in the Permian Basin in West Texas. There are, however, a number of reasons to be optimistic about the flatbed market, and as you can see in the Hot Market Map, some markets are already recovering. DAT load boards… Read More