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America has a massive truck driver shortage. Here’s why few want an $80,000 job.

America has a massive shortage of truck drivers. Joyce Brenny, head of Brenny Transportation in Minnesota, increased driver pay 15 percent this year to try to attract more drivers. Many of her drivers now earn $80,000, she says, yet she still can’t find enough people for the job.

About 51,000 more drivers are needed to meet the demand from companies such as Amazon and Walmart that are shipping more goods across the country, according to the American Trucking Associations. The driver shortage is already leading to delayed deliveries and higher prices for goods that Americans buy. The ATA predicts that it’s likely to get worse in the coming years.

Heather Long, Washington Post
Published: May 29, 2018Updated: May 30, 2018 at 08:53 AM

Continue reading “America has a massive truck driver shortage. Here’s why few want an $80,000 job.”

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The Trucking Industry’s Driver Shortage and its Implications

By David Bansleben

The trucking industry has been dealing with driver shortage for several years now. In recent times the driver shortage in the ​flatbed shipping​ industry has been pushed to the forefront as the trucking industry attempts to manage this issue. Bob Costello, the chief economist at the American Trucking Association stated that the country was experiencing a shortage of drivers by a number estimated to be 51,000 in 2017. The 2016 numbers indicated the shortage to be around 36,000, indicating a drastic increase that is only expected to continue Costello predicts. The reason this issue is so prevalent in the transportation industry is because a shortage of active drivers means there will be less trucks on the road to transport freight. The shortage of available trucks to transport freight combined with the increased demand for trucks by businesses has combined to create a perfect storm in ​flatbed hauling​. Continue reading “The Trucking Industry’s Driver Shortage and its Implications”

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Mantis 50 Tons – Flatbed Hauling Quotes In Texas

Flatbed Hauling Quotes. FBHQ Ships every day to and from the state of Texas. We provide TX Flatbed Heavy Haul transport with Step Decks, RGNs and Lowboy flatbeds, plus cost to cost long haul and oversize load Flatbed Trucking services. We take pride in our customer service providing Texas Flatbed Heavy Hauling, along with our commitment to make the Flatbed Shipping process of moving your oversize heavy haul loads in and out of TX as simple as possible.

Flatbed Hauling Quotes. FBHQ Provides the engineering controls for your most challenging loads to or from Texas to anywhere throughout the United States and Canada. Estimating, planning, equipment is all done by our in-house professionals. We also provide warehousing with full customer services throughout the US.

Our company was founded in 1990 with just one self-storage facility with a strong desire to succeed in the logistics business. Our dedication to customers and the determination to work has bloomed into the established Flatbed Trucking and brokerage company we are today. Our team of trucks and agents transports to and from Texas daily with equipment for over dimensional heavy haul shipping.

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Iowa trucking company reserves five Tesla electric semi trucks

Ruan Transportation Management Systems has reserved five of Tesla’s new electric tractor trailers for testing and delivery next year.

Des Moines-based Ruan Transportation will add at least five Tesla semis to its fleet in 2019. The company plans to test the vehicle prototypes in California before they’re delivered.

“These new trucks stand to revolutionize interstate transport and change the way we do business. Ruan has always been a leader in efficient transport and logistics, so it makes perfect sense to explore what these trucks could do for us and our customers,” James Cade, vice president of fleet services for Ruan, said in a news release.

Ruan officials say they’ve been in touch with Tesla throughout its development process leading up to CEO Elon Musk’s November announcement of the Tesla Semi prototype.

Ruan will pay about $180,000 per vehicle. For comparison, most diesel-powered tractors cost about $100,000. Tesla predicts the electric vehicle will pay for itself within two years due to savings in fuel, aerodynamics and reliability.

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DAT Freight Index: Spot Market Truckload Volume Sets Record in March, Driven by Demand for Flatbeds

4/12/2018 4:10:00 PM

PORTLAND, Ore., DATE — Spot truckload freight availability rebounded in March, to set a new 20-year record for the DAT North American Freight Index. The 38 percent increase in volume, year over year, was due largely to extraordinary demand for flatbed equipment to move industrial cargo for energy and construction.

The Freight Index, a monthly measure of demand for spot market freight, is published by DAT Solutions, which operates North America’s largest load board marketplace.

Flatbed freight rates also set a record in March, at $2.53 per mile, including fuel. Flatbeds got a 16-cent increase month over month, and were paid a full 50 cents more than the average for March 2017.

Van rates rose 3 cents compared to February, and 52 cents year over year. Rates for refrigerated (“reefer”) cargo were down 1 cent at $2.40 per mile month over month, but reefer rates rose 53 cents compared to March 2017.

Rates continued to rise sharply through the first week in April, which is not typical after the close of a fiscal quarter. Van rates are on track to exceed their previous record high of $2.24 per mile, achieved in January, and flatbed rates continue to reach new heights, as well. Reefer rates are lagging, however, because spring produce harvests have not reached their peak.

“Economic growth, particularly in the energy sector, supports heightened demand for truckload transportation, and capacity is not keeping up with that demand,” said DAT industry analyst Mark Montague. “Unless something changes, we can expect rates to continue rising at least until the end of June.”

Established in 1978, DAT operates a network of load boards serving intermediaries and carriers across North America. For more than a decade DAT has published its Freight Index, which is representative of the dynamic spot market.

Referenced rates are the averages, by equipment type, based on $45 billion of actual transactions, as recorded in DAT RateView. Reference rates per mile include fuel surcharges, but not accessorials or other fees. The DAT Freight Index reflects load posting volume on the DAT network of load boards, and 100 on the Index represents the average monthly volume in the year 2000. Additional trends and analysis are available at DAT Trendlines.

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DAT Trend Lines

Industry Trends - Spot MarketIndustry Trends - VanIndustry Trends - FlatbedIndustry Trends - ReeferIndustry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry Trends WEEK MONTH YEAR
Apr 1 – 7 vs.
Mar 25 – 31		 Mar 2018 vs.
Feb 2018		 Mar 2018 vs.
Mar 2017
Spot Market Loads +3.2% +27% +92%
Spot Market Capacity –2.7% +14% –7.0%
Van Load-To-Truck +2.8% –1.5% +116%
Van Rates (Spot) +4.2% +1.4% +32%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck +9.3% +37% +148%
Flatbed Rates (Spot) +4.0% +6.8% +25%
Reefer Load-To-Truck +5.8% +7.0% +68%
Reefer Rates (Spot) +3.3% –0.4% +28%
Fuel Prices +1.1% –1.9% +17%
Rates Rise as ELD Penalty Phase Begins

Flatbed Load-to-Truck Ratio Hits All-Time High

Apr 1 – 7 – There’s often a lull following the end of Q1, but spot market rates for vans, reefers and flatbeds roared in the first week of April, compared to the March averages. Last week was the first week in which trucks would be placed out of service for not having an ELD, and load-to-truck ratios rose for vans, reefers, and flatbeds, indicating tight truckload capacity. The flatbed ratio hit an all-time high of 111 loads per truck.

SPECIAL OFFER: Free 50-Lane Look Up – Benchmark your rates against $45 billion in actual transactions.  Learn More >

National average spot market rates for the past four weeks, including fuel surcharges, are shown in the above graph. Weekly rate snapshots reflect averages for the month to-date, from DAT RateView.

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National United States Flatbed Shipping Rates

Flatbed Shipping Rates

Feb 25 – Mar 3 – The national average flatbed shipping rate increased 4¢ to $2.39 per mile. Flatbed hauling rates have risen for the fourth week in a row. Capacity in the flatbed market also continues to tighten, as the load-to-truck ratio for flatbeds hit its highest point in years. These rates don’t include flatbed heavy or flatbed oversize loads.

Call Us for our current rates https://www.flatbedhaulingquotes.com/

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Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Impact on Flatbed Transportation

Artificial intelligence, abbreviated as A.I., is becoming increasingly relevant to the world as we know it. It is difficult to avoid a topic relating to A.I. when discussing any industry; whether that be in finance, health care, or transportation.  Artificial intelligence is poised to make a significant impact on the future of our industries. There is a substantial level of support in favor of A.I. technology, but there is also a strong opposition to artificial intelligence.

Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Impact on Flatbed Transportation”

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Connecticut Transportation Budget in the Air as a Budget Deficit Looms

The Nutmeg state, officially known as Connecticut is a small state along the east coast with close proximity to major urban centers such as Boston, Providence, Springfield, and New York City. The state capital, Hartford, has historically been known for being the insurance capital of the world. Connecticut’s economy does not heavily rely on agriculture or a livestock centric economy. The economy of the state relies primarily on a service based model. Connecticut does still have a farming industry with Connecticut agriculture contributing roughly 4.6 billion dollars to the state’s economy every year. The primary agriculture products produced in Connecticut are dairy products, eggs, and greenhouse products such as flowers. The state also raises cattle but is not a large market in the state. Insurance and financial service companies are the core industries in the state economy with companies such as Aetna and United Healthcare’s headquarters being located in Hartford. Continue reading “Connecticut Transportation Budget in the Air as a Budget Deficit Looms”