Truckers across the country are up in arms over the Federally Mandated Electronic Logging Devices. If I am honest, the first time this mandate was brought to my attention I thought
Happy New Year!
We hit an ALL TIME HIGH in the last week of 2017 in all facets – TL, LTL and Reefer…flatbeds leveled out, but vans & reefers were up. Most technical indicators lag a bit but the best indicator market is price.
Thanks to the ELD Mandate and frigid weather across the Northern region, we witnessed a frenzy of people urgent to get their LTL and TL shipping moved. We felt it on the phone and over our email orders watching longer transit times across the boards and higher prices.
NEWS YOU CAN USE!
- Van Ratios Hit an All-Time High during the week of Dec 24 – 30 – This urgency to move freight before the end of the year, combined with the frigid weather and tight capacity due to both the holiday and the recently initiated ELD mandate meant that it cost more to move those loads last week.
- Load-to-truck ratios surged, setting a new all-time record-high of 12.2 loads per truck for vans.
- Spot rates also reached historic highs: The national average van rate rose 2
November Rates for Truckload Break a 3 year record high with an 18 month streak since June 2014!
The North American Freight Index showed the availability is 39% lower in truckloads. That means Vans & Flatbeds prices are all up with Reefer costs holding strong & steady..
We do our homework at Go123
- We use our GGI (God Given Intelligence) before rating our customers.
- We cross reference several markets which we pay heavy fees to be a member with to develop the best price for our customers.
- We study resources like Inbound Logistics for logistics and supply chain articles for news and tools to prepare for the long haul!
Several large carriers like Estes & YRC Freight are opening up opportunities across the Americas. We currently have a competitive advantage as more lanes open up going into Mexico & Canada markets.
More News You Can Use!
Predictions for La Ni
The ELD is basically an electronic logging device
Categories
Shipping Market Update & ELD Mandate
Van, Flatbed & Reefer loads are up 64% this week and month over last month. There are also 96% more loads this year this month compared to last year this month according to DAT. This creates a spike in the industry regarding supply and demand for truckloads across the USA.
LTL – It is December, so if you need a shipment within a certain time frame, order GUARANTEED DELIVERY. This is an extra service charge offered by the carriers and is especially important this time of year due to increased traffic in the regional terminals. ETAs are slower in December and if you need it there by a certain date, order GUARANTEED SERVICE.
More News You Can Use
ELD Mandate – The Electronic Logging Device will go into effect this December and many truckers are expected to protest this new technology. Some truckers might not want to upgrade their rigs with this technology, so we might see another rate spike due to plain old supply & demand.
What is the ELD Mandate? Every trucker is required by law to take a 34 hour weekend reset every 5 days. They can take more of a break, but not less. The ELD is the device installed directly to the engine of any truck over 10,000 lbs and newer than 2000. For more information, read our article: ELD Mandate – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly or visit The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
December 22nd – January 1st are typically a very slow time in this business. Guaranteed Services are necessary to move your freight if at all.
Categories
News You Can Use!
Reefers Hit a 3-year Hight and Vans to follow. Flatbeds have held steady. The West coast is cranking right now for all kinds of freight. NW & SW are up $1 per mile and IntraCalifornia is almost $.50 up from last year. TX rates are up as well. LA to Dallas held steady.
…more NEWS YOU CAN USE!
Last quarter is showing steady annual gains in brokered 3PL shipments. Not only can the customer get better rates, it is combined with our superior services.
FEDEX is buying 100 new flying delivery trucks. They are buying 50 trucks initially adding roughly 1 per month for 4 years and holds options for 50 more. This is to support our accumulative nature and to be competitive to the Amazon drone market which is taking on more of the delivery availability in the market.
LTL shipments are the fastest and most economical way to move a shipment larger than a parcel, but smaller than a truckload consisting of as little as 1 pallet, crate or bundle and as many as 10 standard pallets (L48″ x W40″ x H48″). The time in which it takes an LTL shipment to make its destination seems to be one of the biggest questions and misunderstood expectations with our customers. So let’s lay it out for you.
- Your LTL shipment is picked up by the carrier in a city truck, provided it is properly prepared for shipping.
- It is then taken to the origin terminal where it is checked through dimensional scanners for size, weight, density and class.
- The shipment is then loaded onto a Linehaul trailer. A Linehaul trailer is a full semi-trailer.
- There, your shipment sits in that trailer with other shipments waiting for that Linehaul trailer to fill.
- Once that Linehaul trailer is full, it hits the road.
- Depending on the destination, there could be several terminal stops along the way, where shipments, along with yours are unloaded and new shipments are loaded at each terminal stop. This is where delays may occur. If the Linehaul trailer does not fill, then that trailer will sit an extra day until it is full and ready to make the next terminal.
- Ultimately, the Linehaul truck arrives at the destination terminal where your shipment is unloaded and then loaded on city trucks once again to be delivered to your destination.
*INTERSTATE – 1-2 DAYS
*CROSS COUNTRY – 7-10 DAYS, and everything in between
What other Factors can Cause Delays?
Weather, traffic, terminal back-ups, breakdowns, holidays and human error can all delay your shipment. If you are going cross country on long distances, the LTL carrier can chose to put your shipment on rail.
Got a Time Sensitive Delivery?
If your shipment must meet a deadline, then there are guaranteed, express options and you can even overnight by air. These accessorial charges can be arranged with us.
Though we have focused on what could delay your shipment, it is only in an effort to under-promise and over-deliver. Most LTL carriers, some better than others, are consistent with their estimated time of arrivals, but nothing is guaranteed unless you pay.
Please contact us to move your next LTL shipment – Go123 Land, Air, Sea, your full service logistics experts!
Experts say “By the year 2020, there will be 25 billion connected devices in use, representing a 30-fold increase over today” representing a 30-fold increase over today. With advancements in technology, more and more industries are embracing this change.
What can this technology offer in the freight shipping industry?
- Visibility – now consumers can shop for better quotes and hold their shipping agents accountable for high prices, they can utilize the internet to shop for better prices
- Tracking – with GPS enabled date and location services, the customer and dispatch team can track delivery times with precise details
- Multitasking – fuel cost would be cut since fleet routes can be optimized with monitored traffic status allowing more loads to be added along certain routes, with enhanced location data and last minute pick-up & add-on availability
- Speedier Service and Less Pit Stops – Sensor-equipped trucks and GPS technology enable further supply chain productivity. This technology alerts corporate maintenance facilities when trucks need service for their brakes, tires, oil or any other critical systems. When maintenance crews get this information in advance – truck companies can avoid the extra expense of road repairs and delays of freight due to unexpected break-downs
- Enhanced Data Accessibility – fleet managers and drivers alike can save fuel and drive more efficiently with more knowledge thanks to the superior visibility, tracking and maintenance free driving, ultimately delivering on time and keeping the end user happier, the client
- Better Rates Overall – with all these combined benefits, shippers can deliver with better rates, offering better rates to the consumer
Few industries can claim to have a level of technology to equal that found in the logistics industry, and future advancements are primed to reveal and generate some of the most significant technological changes in the industry throughout history. From the ability to automatically generate reports from Internet of Things (IoT), radio frequency identification (RFID), and Bluetooth-enabled devices to the increasing focus on an omni channel solution to acquiring new customers, technology in the logistics industry will continue to grow and improve in accuracy, function and efficiency.
Although some of these technologies have been around for a while, they are just now starting to be used to the best of their ability for the logistics industry in 2016, paving the road for even more advances in efficiency and safety for carriers and consumers.
For Example: Freight class: concrete furnishings, benches, balusters, ashtrays, tables, etc.
After much research and some trial and error, we have landed on the following info for the LTL freight class of concrete furnishings. This includes things like concrete balusters, concrete tables, concrete bases, and similar products usually are classed at class 60, and use an NMFC# of 78820. Sometimes these are referred to as concrete furbishing as well. It is made up of pre-cast concrete items. Here