Shippers and Carriers Blog

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.

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.

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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”

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”

A quick overview why the Government is costing you more to ship.

Don’t low ball your customer to ship or you will be taking it out of your pocket.

Effective December 18^th 2018

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) (Government) established standards for Electronic Logging Devices (ELD). An ELD is electronic hardware that connects to a truck’s engine to automatically log hours of service (HOS). Regulating a driver’s hours of driving service is to help prevent accidents caused by driver fatigue. Drivers have until December 18th, 2017 to implement use of ELDs or park it.

Continue reading “The Government will cost you 20% more in shipping”

The state of New York, nicknamed the Empire State holds the third largest economy in the United States, trailing only Texas and California, New York’s economy is so large that it would rank in the top 20 largest economies in the world if it were its own independent country. Although New York is mainly known for its strong service based economy which includes; financial services, healthcare, and retail industries, it is also home to the Port of New York and New Jersey. The port is the busiest container terminal on the East Coast. If looking at tonnage alone, the port is the third largest in the United States. One of the cash crops for New York agriculture are hay and corn which is primarily used to feed the state’s livestock. New York’s economy is so strong that despite not being heavily agriculture or manufacturing based, there are still large volumes of flatbed carriers that come through New York. Continue reading “New York Governor Gives the Stamp of Approval for Driverless Technology Road Testing”

The Peach State, better known as Georgia has fostered a growing economy through having a diverse set of major industries occupying the state. Agriculture is an integral part of Georgia’s economy. As the state’s nickname suggest, the Peach State is known for its peaches, but the state is also the number one pecan producer in the world. Other cash crops that come out of the state include; blueberries, peanuts and poultry products. Agriculture accounts for roughly $72 billion dollars of the state’s economy. According to the Georgia Farm Bureau, one in seven Georgians work in agriculture or a related field. A large agricultural industry typically means a high demand for flatbed shipping. Georgia is no stranger to transportation and logistics. Savannah, Georgia is known to have the fourth largest port in the United States. Georgia’s port supports over 369,000 jobs throughout the state as well as provides $20.4 billion dollars in income. Although these numbers are not quite as large as the agricultural sector, the ports play a significant role in the state’s growing economic infrastructure. The state’s rail system is also Continue reading “Investments to the Ports in Georgia Will Save Shippers Millions in Costs”