Stay Up to Date on the LTL Industry
Less than truckload (LTL) refers to shipping services for relatively small loads of freight (typically between 150 and 15,000 pounds). One of the main benefits of the LTL industry is cost efficiency. LTL trucking allows shippers to combine several loads going to the same facility into one truck, creating economies of scale, with each shipper only paying for the space they use. On the flip side, LTL shipping can take longer to plan and organize. Shipments may also take longer since the truck has to be filled before it leaves and may have to make multiple stops or transfers on the way to a given destination .
The explosion in online shopping sparked by the pandemic has made a marked impact on the LTL industry. As online shopping grows, demand for LTL trucking has increased significantly, putting stress on an already-burdened industry. To better understand the state of the LTL industry, we teamed up with BlueGrace Logistics to survey shippers about their approaches to LTL trucking in today’s environment.
Download our report to learn more: Evolution of LTL
Outgoing Old Dominion CEO Greg Gantt made his final appearance at the UBS conference and looked back on the company’s road to the top of the heap.ODFL
ArcBest announced Thursday that its chief yield officer is stepping down and will be replaced internally.
Less-than-truckload carrier ABF Freight announced Wednesday that it reached a tentative labor agreement with the Teamsters.
Less-than-truckload provider Forward Air said Tuesday that demand momentum has improved as the second quarter has progressed.
Yellow and the Teamsters appear to be moving further apart on reaching a deal anytime soon.
Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion reported no seasonal inflection in volumes during May but continued to push yields higher.
Northeast LTL carrier A. Duie Pyle has been growing but is hewing primarily to its existing geographic base.
Less-than-truckload carrier Saia reported second-quarter volume metrics on Friday that imply a high-single-digit sequential increase in tonnage from the first quarter.
RIST Transport acquired less-than-truckload peer AMA Transportation in a deal that creates a major regional player in the Northeast, according to an industry insider.
The Teamsters union has authorized a strike at ABF Freight.
Roadrunner has reduced transit times five times over the last 21 months, according to Roadrunner Vice President of Longhaul Operations Shari Leon.
Roadrunner announced Wednesday further enhancements in many of the less-than-truckload lanes it operates.
Less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp. sees its credit ratings fall further as it attempts to hash out a deal with the Teamsters.
AskWaves looks at how cross-border LTL demand may change as supply chain maps are redrawn.
Less-than-truckload carrier XPO reported better-than-expected first-quarter results and said it remains on track to achieve long-term profitability targets.
Less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp. recorded a net loss during the first quarter as it attempts to overhaul its network.
Forward Air noted some optimism in its lowered outlook on Tuesday, saying recent customer conversations have been promising.
Company also announces another round of driver furloughs.
TFI International bolsters its North American LTL presence with two tuck-in acquisitions.
Saia’s revenue trends in April are much better than its less-than-truckload peers.
ArcBest on Friday stood by its strategy to take on lower-margin business.
TFI International reported first-quarter revenue declines in all four main operating segments.
Old Dominion said Wednesday that volumes have stagnated and some of its customers are pushing back on pricing.
Yellow Corp. has approved the Teamsters’ selection to the company’s board of directors.
Yellow confirms that it has asked the Teamsters to open up the National Master Freight Agreement a year early as talks around proposed network changes have stalled.
Knight-Swift Transportation has recalibrated its 2023 outlook after posting an earnings miss to start the year.
XPO fills vacant chief operating officer role with an Old Dominion veteran.
FedEx celebrates its golden anniversary of operations with its most intense few years in decades ahead of it.
An executive with 30 years of experience in trucking and technology has been named COO of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association.
Truckload rates will continue falling at a steep rate in the second quarter while less-than-truckload rates level, a report from a large 3PL asserts.
“We think about these investments as long term. We’re not making them for the next few quarters, we’re making them for the next few years and beyond,” said XPO’s Ali Faghri.
UBS’ Tom Wadewitz says more clarity on cost-cutting actions provides a “long runway” for stock.
ArcBest announced Thursday that Treasurer Matt Beasley will assume the role of chief financial officer in May.
Federal Express Corp. will consolidate its air, ground parcel and other units; LTL will operate separately under the brand.
Yellow Corp. calls out Teamsters union officials for negotiating in bad faith and says it has the votes to push through its proposed operational changes.
The Teamsters union fires another shot at Yellow Corp. in a battle over proposed changes to operations.
AskWaves takes a look at the trade group that sets freight classifications for the less-than-truckload industry and where it’s headed.
The Teamsters union said Thursday it has rejected less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp.’s plan to restructure operations at more than 200 terminals.
Knight-Swift Transportation said it’s not backing away from M&A opportunities following its $808 million purchase of truckload carrier U.S. Xpress.
In a first-quarter earnings preview, Deutsche Bank analyst Amit Mehrotra said he expects an in-line type quarter but voiced some concerns.
Volume weakness persists at FedEx, but cost reductions are acting as strong offsets.
R&R Express announced Wednesday it has acquired Denver-based carrier Load to Ride.
After culling underperforming freight for the better part of two years, less-than-truckload carrier Yellow sees volumes inflect positively.
Antwan Banks has been chosen to oversee the National Motor Freight Traffic Association’s cybersecurity relationship efforts with the trucking industry.
Less-than-truckload carrier XPO said it added 30-year industry veteran Wes Frye to its board as it pursues a six-year financial improvement plan.
ArcBest’s firing of the founder and the CEO of MoLo Solutions is part of a reorganization to tighten sales functions across the company, it said.
The startup, led by veterans of last-mile delivery platform AxleHire, rolled out a new solution for perishable shippers.
Forward Air said Tuesday that low-teens tonnage declines over the past few months have calmed in early March.
FreightWaves, the leading provider of high-frequency data and news for the global supply chain, has launched FreightWaves Academy, an education platform geared toward teaching the ins and outs of transportation and trucking.
SCAC process can be managed online without much help from National Motor Freight Traffic Association.
ArcBest’s first-quarter update bucks the less-than-truckload industry trend as tonnage increases and yields moderate.
Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion sees volumes drop again in February but notes the worst of it may be behind them.
Less-than-truckload carrier Saia reported January and February tonnage declines that were in line with fourth-quarter declines when adjusting for weather.
ArcBest said Wednesday it has launched freight movement technology, allowing the contents of an entire trailer to be unloaded at once.
ArcBest said Tuesday it has further simplified its business model by selling emergency roadside and maintenance services provider FleetNet America.
Less-than-truckload carrier Saia announced it has added more next-day lanes to its network.
Some say LTL is embracing the notion that prices should be regularly adjusted based on customers’ shipment profiles and the carriers’ network needs. Others say the model poses stiff challenges.
The Teamsters union says it wants more details before agreeing to any of less-than-truckload carrier Yellow’s operational changes.
Less-than-truckload carrier Pitt Ohio announced a minority investment in national final-mile platform Aria Logistics.
The Teamsters union promises a fight heading into contract renewals with less-than-truckload carriers.
AskWaves looks at what shippers, carriers, 3PLs and receivers can do to improve less-than-truckload transportation in the grocery space.
This week: St. Christopher brings its benefit concert to a live audience; Lytx awards its customers’ drivers and coaches for top safety records; and XPO Logistics pledges another year of trafficking awareness training for employees.
Less-than-truckload carrier Yellow reported another large decline in volume leading to a fourth-quarter loss.
XPO’s growth strategy includes a wider net for capturing volume, but the less-than-truckload carrier is adamant it will remain price disciplined.
Shares are trading down sharply after Forward Air reported shipping fewer pieces per shipment than expected in the fourth quarter.
XPO takes share in the fourth quarter, posting adjusted earnings ahead of consensus.
Echo Global Logistics said it has hired former Roadrunner president Frank Hurst and XPO operations vice president Phil Resendiz to lead its less-than-truckload efforts.
TFI’s chief downplayed any talk that goes beyond operational synergies, but analyst Jason Seidl said TFI wants to marry ArcBest.
Less-than-truckload carrier Yellow filed revised notifications with the Teamsters seeking more subdued changes to operations after receiving pushback from the union.
Less-than-truckload booking platform MyCarrier is automating insurance coverage for the 10,000 shipments it is booking daily.
TFI posted in-line fourth-quarter EPS. Revenue was down in a tough operating environment.
For more than 50 years, a familylike bond has existed between FedEx management and employees. After a round of job cuts unprecedented in scope, that bond rests on shaky ground.
FedEx Freight on Friday announced the second round of temporary furloughs of drivers in past three months.
LTL carrier sees likely flat operating ratio in Q1 compared to Q4 of ’22.
ArcBest’s fourth-quarter was worse than expected as the carrier manages through the downside of the less-than-truckload cycle.
Amid falling tonnage throughout the less-than-truckload complex, Old Dominion posts another large earnings beat.
XPO, on its way to becoming a pure-play LTL carrier, received an upgrade in its debt rating from S&P Global Ratings.
Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion moved forward with a long-term succession plan Tuesday, announcing that its chief operating officer will replace its CEO in July.
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association has been getting along for nearly 67 years. Now with new leadership and an expanded road map, it’s finally getting going.
Less-than-truckload carrier Saia implements a 6.5% general rate to offset cost inflation and advance network investment.
Current battery-charging cycles could compromise LTL network efficiency, according to the president of AAA Cooper Transportation.
An online auction on Tuesday will sell the assets of family-owned Art Mulder & Sons Trucking of Holland, Michigan, two months after the refrigerated LTL carrier ceased operations after 50 years.
Less-than-truckload carrier Pitt Ohio announced it has sped up service on numerous lanes in and out of the state of New York.
Bank of America analyst Ken Hoexter now has a buy rating on most of the truckload carriers he follows.
XPO announced Tuesday it has hired Wall Street analyst Ali Faghri to head its strategy initiatives.
Estes Express Lines announced Tuesday that Webb Estes has been named president and chief operating officer.
Morgan Stanley said trucking fundamentals could be “bottoming” in a Monday note to clients while Susquehanna called it quits on several stocks.
Andrew Clarke, the ex-C.H. Robinson Worldwide executive, would relish the opportunity to return as its CEO, according to sources.
FedEx Freight Direct now offers returns of big and bulky items.
Less-than-truckload provider Roadrunner has announced its “biggest-ever transit improvements.”
Analysts waxed pessimistic about C.H. Robinson’s near-term outlook, arguing that the company’s culture needs to change.
Forward Air announced it will buy fellow expedited less-than-truckload provider Land Air Express in a $56.5 million transaction.
Demand for 3PL services to handle last-mile shipments of heavy goods will grow by double digits annually through 2025, according to a report by Armstrong & Associates and the National Home Delivery Association.
FedEx must convince stakeholders that it will stay the course on cost reductions.
FedEx’s 2023 second-quarter results proved its ability to quickly slash costs but also showed the damage a demand slowdown is inflicting on its top line.
Estes Forwarding Worldwide and project44 have developed a rating API that provides expedited quotes for LTL shippers.
Even though the final piece of XPO’s breakup has been put on hold, the company’s bullish growth ambitions for less-than-truckload have not changed.
Less-than-truckload carriers are hopeful a recent round of general rate increases stick on the downside of the cycle.
Yellow Corp. will modify and refile proposed network changes after meeting with local unions.
7L Freight is making truck procurement more convenient for logistics companies by combining dynamic rate management with electronic booking.
