What the surge in empty container moves says about the freight market
Empty containers could be a strong transportation demand signal for September, but the market appears ready to handle it, for now.
Empty containers could be a strong transportation demand signal for September, but the market appears ready to handle it, for now.
Inventory pull-forward has been the driving theory behind container import growth, but data suggests that may not be as true as people think. What are the implications to domestic transportation markets?
Truckload carrier Werner Enterprises’ CEO noted some reasons for optimism at an investor conference.
The conflict in the Middle East may have late-year implications for the domestic transportation market.
Shippers are reverting to pre-pandemic shipping patterns, which may exacerbate the next freight market shift.
The return of intermodal shipping could accelerate truckload capacity’s exodus.
Upstream and historic values are predicting another strong deterioration in truckload spot rates in April. How seriously should we take this?
FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes truckload contract rates and where they may be headed.
Inventory levels grew at an astonishing pace in February. Is the supply chain crisis ending?
China’s biggest holiday used to have a dramatic impact on U.S. transportation and the flow of goods. Now it seems more of an afterthought.
Prices have increased 17% but carrier compliance shows only marginal improvement
After a year of record demand, shippers are hesitant to pull their feet off the accelerators heading into the “slow” season.
Long-haul freight typically shrinks around the holiday season as fulfillment becomes a priority. The exact opposite is occurring this season, which may be indicative of shipper overcorrection.
Congestion around the ports and drayage capacity issues are pushing shippers to use trucks more frequently while loaded container volumes dip. But shipping patterns are changing in more ways than just mode conversion.
Two of the nation’s largest centers for outbound freight demand saw record low levels of carrier acceptance rates this past week. This comes as the worst of the COVID capacity crunch appeared to be in the rearview mirror.
The relationship between personal consumption and trucking demand has strengthened even further as companies struggle to maintain inventory. This suggests a very active spring and summer for transportation providers.