truckload pricing

Truckload carrier management teams are becoming more encouraged that freight markets are balancing.

There are a few key factors to consider when looking to book spot market freight, according to my seven years as a freight broker.

FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes the continuing decrease in truckload rates for dry van loads.

Equipment price inflation not only inhibits capacity growth it carries consequences well into the future.

P.A.M. Transportation Services finished 2021 on a high note, posting another large earnings beat during the fourth quarter.

FreightWaves adds spot rate data and a new market analytics application inside its SONAR platform.

P.A.M. Transportation Services sees a “marked improvement” as its auto manufacturing customer base gets back to work. The carrier expects “upward rate pressure” as truck capacity tightens.

The Cass Freight Index booked 7% sequential gains in shipments and expenditures during September.

U.S. Xpress’ industry forecast calls for the truckload market to experience high driver turnover, declining capacity and “overwhelming” volumes through 2021.

Cass data for the month of August shows significant acceleration in demand and rates but the comparisons to 2019 still lag other data sources.

With many data points sitting at cycle highs, several industry participants are calling for the trucking market’s bull rally to last well into 2021.

Tightening truckload and intermodal markets have carriers expecting the hot freight market to carry forward. One carrier is calling for large rate increases in 2021.

Knight-Swift posts solid second quarter and reinstates full-year guidance to a level higher than before the outbreak.

J.B. Hunt easily bests consensus forecasts led by better-than-expected intermodal and dedicated results. The back half of 2020 remains hazy on COVID-19 fears.

April’s 20% year-over-year declines in Cass data may mark the bottom of the COVID-19 downturn.

Truckload and transportation companies talk freight markets ahead of reopening with some calling a market bottom in April as spot rates remain below breakeven.

Management says “tough pricing environment” muted operational efficiency initiatives.

A better than expected first quarter yields to expectations that a recovery may not occur until June. Some of Schneider’s customers are starting up again, but demand in May will likely be choppy.

Favorable customer mix to make Werner’s truckload model a little more defensive through the downturn.

Werner believes its consumer-heavy shipper base will allow the company to ‘more effectively manage through’ the downturn.

Cass data plummets further, erasing any chance of second-quarter year-over-year growth in shipments and freight costs, according to report.

Declines in Cass data accelerate but report calls for rates to inflect higher in 2020.

A difficult truck brokerage market appears to have stalled growth at Uber Freight compared to the third quarter. However, the operating loss narrowed significantly.

U.S. Xpress sees a path to improved profitability in 2020 and beyond. These were just some of the highlights provided on the carrier’s earnings call.

Werner’s management team is still pointing to a truckload recovery in 2020 but noted that the first half will be a challenge.

Schneider National’s fourth quarter suffered from a “muted peak season” and softer rates. However, the carrier’s 2020 outlook calls for improving fundamentals.

Covenant Transportation continues to reallocate equipment to units with a lower risk profile like dedicated.

Covenant Transportation sees significant year-over-year decline in earnings as excess capacity and higher costs persist.

Heartland Express’ financial results were worse than expected in the fourth quarter of 2019. That said, a large acquisition shoulders more of the blame than weaker market fundamentals.

US Bank reports declines in freight payment transactions during the fourth quarter. The report signals an improvement on the horizon as truck capacity declines.

The Cass Freight Index sees its steepest decline in shipments since the Great Recession.

Morgan Stanley eyeing truck capacity constraints and higher rates in 2020, potentially reaching 2018 levels or higher.

Werner has seen freight fundamentals improve recently and is expecting the truck market to tighten as new regulation is implemented.

U.S. Xpress sees a tough second quarter, but expects industry fundamentals to firm as excess capacity exits the market.

Schneider National sees “less favorable” trends continuing into the back half of 2019. The company lowered guidance and announced the closure of its First to Final Mile business.

Werner’s second quarter was $0.01 light of consensus and the company lowered its pricing forecast for the rest of 2019.

Landstar missed the bottom-end of its guidance range as expected. The company sees weakness in truckload fundamentals continuing through the third quarter.

The clean balance sheet and deteriorating fundamentals in the TL space that could force some carriers to look for the exit begs the question, ‘will we see Heartland become acquisitive again?’

The FreightWaves Intel Group surveyed over 800 carriers, shippers and brokers about the entry of Amazon into online freight brokerage. Read about the survey’s results and what respondents think Amazon will do to their businesses.

“June is a big month in the second quarter historically…and if we don’t see it here in the month of June you really have to question what we are going to see in July and August,” said Rourke.