In my 2012 year-end blog on Trends in Transportation, I identified a number of areas where I expected to see some changes in 2013. One area I highlighted was the expectation that we would begin to see more Innovation in Transportation. In my view, Freight Transportation has lagged other industry sectors in the Innovation space. I also questioned the shelf life of the current transactional model of Freight Brokerage. Many freight brokers still rely on faxes, phone calls and e mail to run their operations.... Read More

News of a jury award in a wrongful death lawsuit in Santa Fe, NM, that awarded the family of a crash victim $58.5 million dollars comes as no surprise to me. In essence the jury said that the driver of a tanker truck that made a left turn in the path of the victim’s oncoming vehicle did not have adequate training. The Jury also decided that the bulk of the responsibility for the crash lied with the management company that contracted with the trucking company.... Read More

The driver shortage is one of the most compelling issues facing fleet managers and company owners. Recently the ATA predicted that over the next decade we will need close to 100,000 new truck drivers a year to replace those who are retiring or leaving the industry. ... Read More

The graph below shows the result of organizing NADA’s CY 2012 retail sales data for sleeper tractors into region. The analysis is an attempt to show the relative difference in value placed on trucks sold in each region.
For reference, the average sleeper tractor retailed in the US in 2012 was a MY 2007 aerodynamic truck with a large raised-roof sleeper, just over 450HP, and a 10-speed manual transmission. That truck sold for $49,086 and had 547,881 miles.... Read More

According to the ATA, Driver turnover for large fleets dipped in the 4th quarter of 2012 from 104% to 90 %. The ATA says the 14% dip is a surprise, but suggests a, “weakened economy and overall freight volumes” as reasoning. ATA chief Economists Bob Costello states, “as freight volumes slid a bit at the end of 2012, we saw turnover follow suit.”... Read More

Data reported to NADA from auctions and dealers indicates that February was the third month in a row to see a substantial increase in selling prices for Class 6 Conventionals. The Class 4 segment is also heading upwards, and Class 5’s remain stable. See graph for details.... Read More

A recently released ATA paper has led to headlines reporting that in truck/car crashes the car driver made a critical error about 75% of the time. This paper was part of the ATA's push to get FMCSA to begin assigning fault to crash reports that are used to calculate a motor carrier's CSA score. Although FMCSA is currently studying the matter, they've cooled on the idea since initially endorsing it. The most commonly cited reason is a belief that police generated crash reports may not be reliable enough.... Read More

The most recent revision to 2012Q4 GDP shows that the economy grew at a lackluster 0.4 percent annual rate to end last year, which was the slowest GDP growth rate since 2011Q1. However, this overall number doesn’t capture the large discrepancy between the public and private sectors. Had public sector spending remained unchanged, real GDP would have increased by 1.8 percent.... Read More

Final February sales data shows that the average selling price of a sleeper tractor that month was $49,524. Average mileage was 539,315, and average age was 78 months. These results are very similar to both last month and year-prior. See graph for detail.

Have you ever heard the saying, “the customer is always right?” There’s a reason vendors feel that your opinion matters. However, how often do you actually tell a company whether you like or dislike their product?

As a professional driver, you are an influential customer. You buy fuel and supplies at truck stops, clothing and food at retail and grocery stores, and you purchase services from your tax preparer to your dog groomer.... Read More