Dooner and The Dude discuss buying habits before Black Friday, plus they welcome the flyest guy on 18 wheels
Headlines
Reefer rates continue to be off the charts, with the most expensive lanes in the country going for just north of $5 a mile. Zach Strickland reported over the weekend almost every other load tendered is being rejected.
Michael Vincent thinks high rates and rejections won’t necessarily affect the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, but vaccine distribution may affect other freight requiring reefers to move.
Distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine could start as early as Dec. 11 as Pfizer just submitted its emergency authorization application to the Food and Drug Administration.
Officials say about 40 million doses could be available by the end of December.
Another casualty of the pandemic has been bankruptcies, with Michigan-based DIS Transportation being the latest to file.
Dooner and The Dude said this is not surprising. “The great freight economy this year only prolonged the inevitable,” when it comes to companies going under, said Vincent.
XPO’s Nick Ober thanks critical carriers for a job well done in 2020
Nick Ober, XPO Logistics’ vice president of operations for freight brokerage, joined the show with a message of thanks for drivers and careers through the craziness of 2020.
He said the XPO Connect product is designed to provide a “premium experience” with an “emphasis on safety.”
“Our largest customers want access to real-time pricing and capacity,” especially as retail sales surge around the peak season, Ober said.
Technology is king for Transfix and its customers
Echoing Ober’s push for technology is Drew McElroy, co-founder of Transfix. He said its goal is to provide quantifiable evidence for trends people are observing in the consumer market.
“Technology might provide an outlet to make a better solution for everyone who touches our business,” McElroy said.
Executing to meet consumer expectations is critical, but no one can do it perfectly he said.
The Freight BambiNo answers all Dooners questions
Dubbed “the flyest guy on 18 wheels” (and no, he won’t tell you his real name), the Freight BambiNo makes an appearance to talk about bad drivers and sketchy situations.
He believes while Michigan has the worst roads in the country, Iowa has the worst drivers and compared to The Dude’s experiences in Atlanta, Iowa still takes the cake.
What is his biggest trucking mess? Where can you buy his merch? Check out his Twitter feed for more.
You can find more WHAT THE TRUCK?!? recaps and recaps for all our shows here.