The Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the event of the fall. Subscribers to Check Call have a special discount code for F3 registration. This is going to be one of the best deals on F3 tickets. Use the code CheckCallF324 or go to this link, and the discount will be applied. There is no better party than a Chattanooga party. This is not one to miss.
Another year, another Armstrong & Associates research report on 3PLs. The report – “Divergence – Latest Third-Party Logistics Market Results and Outlook” – found that non-asset-based international and domestic transportation managers saw significant downtrends in revenues, whereas asset-based transportation management and value-added warehousing have continued to grow.
According to the study, “Based on 3PLs’ reported 2023 financial results, A&A’s current estimates show U.S. 3PL Market net revenues (gross revenues less purchased transportation) were down 12.8% to $129 billion in 2023, and overall gross revenues fell 26.1%, bringing the total U.S. 3PL Market to $299.5 billion in 2023.”
As for growth, the 3PL Market segment had the best year-over-year growth in gross and net revenues for 2023. The Domestic Transportation Management (DTM) 3PL Market segment continues to lead in net revenue growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.2% since 2010.
The areas that saw the most decline were air and ocean rates. The segment was down 4.1% versus 2022.
Overall the study highlighted the growth the entire industry has seen over the past year. If the predictions for the future of the freight market are to be believed, the rest of the year holds promise to the return of a competitive freight market.
As for the expectations for the rest of the year, there is an underlying expectation that trends will mimic those of 2019. The FreightWaves “State of Freight” webinar for July covered some of the larger factors that could negatively impact the market: the presidential election in November, the sharp uptick in U.S. container imports, capacity availability due to bankruptcy and the rise of cross-border freight. The second half of the year holds a lot of uncertainty and promise for the freight market.
Market Check. Starting off the week strong is Jacksonville, Florida. Outbound tender rejection rates shot up over the past week, jumping 425 basis points to come in at 9.84%. Outbound tender volumes have taken the opposite approach and dropped 13.41%. The dramatic swings on both indexes have created a capacity crunch in Jacksonville.
Despite the excess capacity in the market, shippers should be prepared to extend outbound tender lead times. Spot rates are on the rise, cutting into margin. Expect to bid higher on shipments originating from Jacksonville until the OTRI drops.
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Who’s with whom? In this instance, it’s more like who is struggling to be with whom? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has told Congress in its report, “Unlawful Brokerage Activities.” The report also updated efforts to help expose illegal brokers.
The report noted that the agency “does acknowledge an association between motor carriers with poorer safety performance and carriers that lack a verifiable ‘brick and mortar’ principal place of business (PPOB). And the agency has also received comments and other information asserting that use of a virtual PPOB is more common among entities that engage in unauthorized brokerage.”
As for what the FMCSA can do to deter bad actors, due to a 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation ruling, the FMCSA says it lacks authority to assess civil penalties for violations by unauthorized brokers.
The more you know
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