Trucking Rates

For January, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading came in at 3.3, marking a 3% decline December’s 6.4 reading and also below November’s 6.3. October had topped September's 4.3 by 2%, with FTR saying at the time reflected the most favorable market conditions for shippers since June 2023.

The van TVI, at 245, down 4% compared to January, with the reefer TVI, at 193, down 4% compared to January, and the flatbed TVI, at 242, increased 3% compared to January.

Total estimated 2023 global 3PL market revenue was off 18.5% annually, coming in at $1.2 trillion. But even with that decline, the firm observed that this tally still represented a 25.3% increase, when compared to pre-pandemic 2019.

While the historic cold snap is causing multiple issues across the U.S., freight rates have remained relatively stable says data from DAT.

ODFL reported that revenue per day fell 0.9% compared to November 2022, which it said was mainly driven by a 2.3% decrease in LTL tons per day that was partially offset by an increase in LTL revenue per hundredweight. And it added that the change in LTL tons per day was attributed to a 2.9% decrease in LTL weight per shipment that was partially offset by a 0.6% increase in daily LTL shipments.

For August, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading, at -2.7, registered a negative reading for the first time since October 2022. This came on the heels of a 1.6 July reading, which was well below June’s 7.9.

The report’s third quarter shipment index value, at 106.6, was down 3.4% compared to the second quarter and was down 9.7% annually, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of annual shipment declines. On the spend side, the report observed that the third quarter reading, at 106.6, fell 9.7% annually and was down 3.4%, from the second quarter to the third quarter.

The October edition of the ITS Logistics US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index, which was recently issued by Reno, Nev.-based ITS Logistics, a 3PL focused on drayage and intermodal services, pointed to ports running smoothly and not seeing any major interruptions, coupled with an observation that the trucking market is seeing more capacity leaving the market than entering it.

Seasonal trends impacted lower spot market volumes and rates in the September edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) announced intention to mandate that commercial trucks have speed limiting devices is sharply dividing the trucking industry.

With the dust settling from the exit of Yellow Corp. in the less-than-truckload (LTL) market, following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing earlier this month, various industry stakeholders have taken time since then to assess what Yellow’s departure, as well as its 8%-to-9% sector market share, means for LTL and the freight transportation sector, too.

The Van TVI was up 5% compared to April, to 220, the reefer TVI was up 5% compared to April, to 164, and the flatbed TVI was up 7% compared to April, to 258.

For March, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading fell to 4.5, following February’s 5.1 reading and January’s 5.4. These readings are nearly half of December’s 10.3, to finish 2022. November’s 3.0 reading was preceded by -3.1 and -0.3 readings in September and October, respectively.

The topic of recessions—both for the general United States economy and the freight economy—was a key theme in a webcast hosted earlier this month by Jeff Tucker, president of Haddonfield, N.J.-based Tucker Worldwide, the nation’s oldest freight brokerage, which featured Lee Klaskow, Senior Global Transportation & Logistics Analyst and Sector Head, for Bloomberg Intelligence, a division of Bloomberg LP.

FTR officials said that the March reading is a byproduct of what it described as persistent unfavorable conditions for carriers. And they pointed to lower fuel costs and slightly stronger utilization that partially offset a more negative rate environment, with spot markets continuing to deteriorate.