Less-Than-Truckload

With “tepid” freight demand dampening LTL profits, analysts and carriers executives say that fuel, capacity utilization, and mounting regulation will play a large role in 2016 rates. Here’s what shippers should expect.

Light asset-based less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier SHIFT Freight recently announced it has expanded its service offering to five new states for inbound and outbound shipments, as well as added liftgate service for pickups and deliveries.

The Reliance Network (TRNet), a consortium of regional less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, said that less-than LandAir Express of New England is no longer part of the group’s carrier base effective immediate

Seattle-area based Pacific Alaska Freightways (PAF), a provider of freight transportation services to Alaska, including steamship, barge, rail, air, truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal was recently acquired by Span Alaska Transportation, an Anchorage, Alaska-based provider of freight and transportation services for the Alaska market.

While still facing many of the regulatory and driver recruitment challenges facing their longer-haul less-than-truckload (LTL) brethren, our reporting over the past year indicates that the Regional LTL sector has found its footing in terms of capacity alignment and revenue growth.

As we roll deeper into 2015, the longer-haul less-than-truckload (LTL) sector remains solidly profitable overall. Carriers in this category are seeing capacity closely aligned with demand, and with significant barriers to entry in the sector, little additional capacity is expected in the near future.

As we roll deep into 2015, the $37 billion less-than-truckload (LTL) sector remains solidly profitable overall. LTL capacity is closely aligned with demand, and with significant barriers to entry in the sector, little additional capacity is expected in the near future.

Despite the prevailing challenges, the less-than-truckload (LTL) market is seeing steady volume growth and solid profits. Our top sector analysts offer their take on this now vital mode as shippers work to obtain the capacity they need at a rate that works for both parties.

LTL rate structures have started to morph from static, classification-based rate tables that have been in place since the 1930s through to the dimensional pricing experiments of the past few years. I say “through” because dimensional pricing is not an end, but a step toward dynamic pricing models that enable collaboration in real time for smart, connected shippers and carriers.

SHIFT Freight, a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier that moves freight from California, Nevada, and Arizona to the Eastern half of the United States, said this week that it is now serving 1,400 new direct points in Michigan and Ohio.

Less-than-truckload (LTL) bellwether Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) said this week that it has updated its second quarter expectations for growth in LTL tons per day, and year-over-year growth in LTL revenue per hundredweight, excluding fuel surcharges.

Analysts say our annual listing reflects the management teams that are willing to get their hands dirty in order to compete in the cutthroat world of deregulated trucking. Here are the carriers that are leverage rolling assets and technology to post the most impressive financial numbers.

The once-beleaguered $35 billion less-than-truckload (LTL) sector, beset by stagnant growth and lackluster profits for much of the past decade, is enjoying a revival. Mostly because of the strong industrial and retail economy, as well as tightness in capacity due to the lack of any new entrants in the past 10 years, the LTL sector is poised for one of its best profit years since at least 2004, industry executives and analysts say.

Our panel of trucking analysts takes a deep dive into the federal regulations that are driving increased cost pressures on carriers—and, in turn, driving up rates on shippers.

The explosive growth of e-commerce and the impact it has had on small package and LTL deliveries has forced carriers to turn the tables and push the inefficiency penalty back to the shipper. Bottom line: It’s time to re-think your packaging—or get ready to cut a bigger check.