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?
Transportation costs are hitting record levels as companies struggle to grab capacity amidst an unusually early peak season.
Shippers are willing to pay more to put freight on the rail just to get it moving out of Los Angeles.
International import bookings signal continued strength in the domestic freight market.
As trucking capacity tightens and spot rates rise, driver turnover increases. Are some of them leaving the industry for good?
Hurricane Laura hit at a time when trucking capacity is unusually tight, a fact that may hinder the recovery efforts.
Freight is getting crammed into the U.S. West Coast as fast as carriers can pick it up. How long will it last?
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?
Volumes have recovered faster than many expected leading to many transportation companies posting earnings beats in Q2. There are no signs of slowing into August.
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 […]
Companies are cramming warehouses full of freight as they change their supply chains to better suit the post COVID-19 world. Trucking capacity tightens as a result.
The erratic nature of the economic recovery has dramatically changed shipping behavior, which has strained carrier networks.
Capacity is almost as tight as it was during the panic buying inspired March. Could it get tighter?
Southern California has become the hot spot for freight in the post COVID-19 freight market. Could it be the region to tell us what’s next?
A decline in contract rates that were implemented prior to the COVID-19 outbreak may make this year tighter for carriers.
A lot of the recent struggles for carriers originated in what many consider to be the most profitable year.
Produce season has arrived, pushing rates higher than 2019 in many areas. Will this impact the rest of the country’s capacity?
Freight moving long distances in May might lead to a strong summer peak.
Imports of nondurable goods are outperforming durable goods imports this month, which may indicate warehouses are full of their durable counterparts due to lack of demand.
Chart of the Week: Outbound Tender Volume Index– USA SONAR: OTVI.USA After experiencing one of the most volatile periods in history over the past two months, freight market volumes have recovered to […]
Reefer capacity has started to show early signs of tightening after experiencing the loosest conditions in years in April. Will van capacity follow suit?
Chinese imports have fully recovered. Does this mean the domestic trucking market will see a similar outcome?
Many expected a worse outcome for carriers in March as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Ironically, the pandemic may have padded some 1Q results.
Carriers are getting more notice to pick up loads. Is this a result of Amazon relaxing their service expectations?
The maritime shipping companies have been able to increase their rates amidst the COVID-19 induced shut down. Is this a sign of things to come for domestic carriers?
Even as freight volumes surged to record levels in March, drivers spent less time driving.
Air cargo rates spike in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Medical supplies are in high demand while much of the air capacity is grounded.
Trucking capacity is the tightest it has been in 17 months thanks to the surging volumes, but all signs point to this being a short-lived event.
Import volumes are showing the first signs of recovery since the initial decline in early February.
Chart of the Week: Outbound Tender Volume Index – USA SONAR: OTVI.USA People have been clearing store shelves in parts of the country as if they were preparing for a […]
Container shipping rates from China to the U.S. west coast and international intermodal volume out of the L.A. port complex are both at or below last year’s seasonally-weak Chinese New Year Period. Extended factory shutdowns to prevent the spread of the coronavirus may inhibit a March or April rebound.
Not only were volumes lower in 2019, but they traveled less miles, which compounded the impact of oversupply. Volumes have not recovered, but something else has changed that may help carriers this year.
Transport earnings were rough but may have bottomed.
Diesel costs were supposed to make 2020 more difficult for struggling carriers, but wholesale fuel prices have fallen rapidly, which should help carriers in the slow season.
The coronavirus is having a far-reaching impact across the globe. The timing may make things worse for domestic trucking.
Reefer volumes have broken out this winter as dry van demand fades. Does this mean the sector is in for a strong recovery in 2020?
New fleet growth is slowing while used truck prices collapse. Is this the first sign of contracting trucking capacity?
California’s AB5 has caused significant disruption prior to the planned enforcement period. Has there been a measurable impact to the supply of carriers in the state?
Insurance premiums are a growing concern in the trucking industry, even as statistics show reduced incidents. What is driving the soaring insurance costs?
Lead times fell throughout 2019 as shippers became accustomed to excessive capacity.
The truckload sector has had a breakout December thanks to a booming holiday peak. Is this a signal of a long-term shift to the over-supplied freight market?
Chart of the Week: 3-Year-Old Used Truck Prices – USA, Cass Freight Shipments Index – USA SONAR: UT3.USA, CFIS.USA At this point the news and story of Celadon, the largest truckload failure […]
The rise of e-commerce has increased the amount of low mileage freight, but that comes at an unexpected cost to shippers.
West Coast freight volumes have been robust in 2019, but empty rail containers signal that the balance is shifting east heading into 2020.
The housing and construction sectors are showing signs of life, giving truckers a rare hint of optimism for the coming months.
Reefer demand jumps in contrast to the general freight market, despite much colder temps across the U.S.
Freight volumes fell off a cliff at the end of October. Is this yet another reason for concern that the market may slow even further?
The rails managed to increase rates while trucking rates continued to compress in October.
Reefer volumes have declined in 2019 as shippers have taken advantage of cheap van rates, but declining production and trade wars have hurt the cause as well.
Retail is expected to be the great savior of the 4th quarter economy. Hopefully retaill shipment volumes are not an indication of things to come.
Freight volumes took a nosedive to this past week, which led to the biggest difference in annual freight volumes this year.
A popular manufacturing index is signalling a rough ride for trucking after the holiday season.
Trucking volumes are up YoY, while rail intermodal volumes have fallen. Now may be the time for long time competitors to explore new partnerships.
Two big events hit trucking like a hammer this week. What are the long run implications?
Smaller carriers are snatching up the big carrier’s excess truck supply, even in a softer year. The reason is not obvious.
Carriers are having less trouble keeping their drivers busy over the past month, but that has not quite translated to increased prices.
2019 has been more challenging for trucking companies than any other non-recession year. Here is why.
After a disappointing first half of 2019, the freight market finally appears to be heading another direction.
The trade war with China has altered international shipping patterns, which has started to shift freight volumes to the East Coast.
The price of diesel fuel has an obvious impact on transportation providers costs, but it also can give insight into demand for their services.
There are reasons to expect a healthy pop in outbound Los Angeles spot rates.
California’s produce shipments can wreak havoc on trucking capacity in the spring. This year’s season was s shell of the previous two.
The volatile 2018 freight market is still being felt throughout the nations trucking industry. The freight futures settlement
Diesel prices jumped in the Midwest this month due to a significant tax increase. Small carriers will have to adjust to keep costs down and maintain business.
Durable goods and dry van orders are declining. Could this mean a rough second half of 2019?
Spot rates have fallen back to where they were two years ago. The problem for carriers; their costs have not.
Reefer carriers are weathering the cooling freight market more efficiently than two of the main trailer types. An interesting data point supports this claim.
FreightWaves’ SONAR chart of the week (June 16, 2019 – June 22, 2019) Chart of the Week: Drewry World Container Index – Shanghai to Los Angeles and Shanghai to New […]
FreightWaves’ SONAR chart of the week (June 9, 2019 – June 15, 2019) Chart of the Week: Wait Time (El Paso, Laredo) (SONAR: WAIT.ELP, WAIT.LRD) International trade has been a […]
Last year, carriers avoided hotspots for vehicle inspections during CVSA’s Roadcheck week. Now the market has turned, so has their attitude about these areas.
Capacity normally tightens into the holiday weekend, but this Memorial Day is nothing like the previous years.
The trade war between China and the U.S. is having a noticeable impact on freight markets. Shippers and carriers are struggling to adapt.
The relationship between truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) is like two cities positioned around the epicenter of an earthquake.
FreightWaves’ SONAR chart of the week (May 5, 2019 – May 11, 2019) Chart of the Week: Drilling Permit Approvals, New Drilling (USA) vs. WTI crude oil price (SONAR: DRILLNEW.USA, […]
The housing market has been sliding since early 2018, but there are optimistic signals for a turnaround in 2019. Freight markets can only benefit from a strong housing market.
The inbound container flows had a big impact to freight volumes in the port cities of Savannah and Los Angeles this past year.
National spot market price movement has a surprisingly tight relationship with new truck orders.
Capacity is still being added to the market. Truck orders numbers for both new and used models support this.
Specialty retail and electronics retail stores are the least efficient loading and unloading docks for carriers according to FreightWaves latest index.
Manufacturing numbers are not looking as robust after a booming early 2018. The flatbed freight market may be in line for a big correction as well.
After a period of attempting to improve detention times with carriers, they appear to be falling into the old habits of making load/unload times are lower priority according to FreightWaves’ Detention Minutes Index.
Los Angeles has had the heaviest freight volumes in the U.S. for the past several months, but carriers should be paying attention to where that freight is headed.
National freight volumes are flat year-over-year, but capacity is as loose as ever. What is driving the discrepancy?
Increasing spot rates lead carrier revenues in 2018, will revenues start to fall now that rates have started to come down again?
National spot rates have been flying high for the past year, but have only recently fallen under previous year values as illustrated on FreightWaves newest charting feature.
Atlanta to Philadelphia’s spot rate has hit its lowest point in 3 years. The absolute rates may be similar, but the freight markets could not be further apart.
The two Super Bowl teams and their fanbases are very different, just like their freight market identities.
The DOE fuel price keeps sliding as wholesale or rack prices are increasing. This can have a negative impact to carrier margins in early 2019 after receiving the benefit of expanding fuel spreads in late 2018. SONAR’s newest index can help you monitor this.
How can air cargo and dry van spot market rates be related? Could the movement of these two seemingly unrelated rates provide more evidence the market is slowing?
The falling Purchasing Managers Index tends to be correlated with the general freight market, the Cass Freight Shipment Index illustrates this. Is it time for carriers to pull back?
Record intermodal shipments on the rail for the second year in a row has deep implication for the trucking market into 2019. Trucking will benefit, at least partially, from Norfolk Southern’s latest decision.
Carriers lower rates heading to the West Coast this year as inbound container volumes flood the ports.
Carrier operating ratios continue to fall in October with a less volatile freight market.
The freight market has softened significantly in the last few months, but it is not due to a drastic reduction in volume.
The big oil news of the week was OPEC deciding to cut production in an attempt to stop the price of oil from dropping further. Carriers should be happy with this in the long run but gained a short term boost to margins in the meantime.
The spot market has been cooling over the past several months, but the players seem more uncertain than ever.
The benchmark price of domestic crude oil has dropped by 25% since early October. Historically, that would be a great thing for truckers, but with carriers operating more efficient trucks and oil production tied into the freight economy more than ever, it could be a warning sign for the broader freight market.
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, drivers are spending less time on the road and more time at home. This is shrinking the availability of capacity in the market.
The Ontario, California market now has the edge over Atlanta as its OTMS value sits at 4.63% of the total outbound load volume in the U.S. according to SONAR data.
