Trucking

Formed as a logistics platform by I Squared Capital in 2016, AIM has grown into a leading chassis lessor providing GPS-enabled services to retailers, logistics companies and shipping lines in the U.S. intermodal supply chain.

For November, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI edged up 0.6% to a 7.0 reading on the heels of three consecutive readings at 6.4 from August through October.

The ATA’s advanced seasonally-adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index for December—at 118.2 (2015=100)—topped November’s 113.6 reading by 4% after a 3.4% decline from October to November.

DAT said there were some seasonable elements in the mix, with spot rates rising in December over each of the last five years, as December van and reefer rates each registered their highest levels going back to January 2020.

For November, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI reading was -1.58, a mile backwards step from October’s -1.04 reading. October marked an improvement over September’s -2.94, the lowest reading since May 2019.

Insurance rates for trucking fleets are soaring, sending trucking executives scrambling for coverage even for some of the safest fleets in the land. The reason, according to top trucking executives and transportation attorneys, is the rise in so-called “nuclear settlements” either awarded by a jury or negotiated by attorneys in a wrongful death lawsuit involving a heavy truck.

Dallas-based Transplace, a non asset-based third-party logistics services provider, said it has acquired Green Bay, Wis.-based Lanehub, a cloud-based platform and community focused on shipper-carrier collaboration by automatically identifying and connecting companies with complementary freight lanes to save on shipping expenses.

With this offering, the company said carriers are now able to request and receive lumper payment codes immediately and subsequently eliminate time-consuming phone calls and out-of-pocket expenses that typically take several weeks for reimbursement.

The unstable market conditions with respect to price, capacity, service and cost means that it’s simply not possible to maximize network effectiveness and performance with traditional methods. Looking ahead at each of the key modes, our team of experts offers a series of observations and recommendations as we launch into 2020.

This pilot program leverages DAT’s RateView, which DAT said is the largest and most historically complete database on freight transactions in the trucking sector and provides what it called actionable short-term and long-term insights into transportation markets. RateView provides forecasts of more than $68 billion in annual freight transactions, according to DAT.

Low- or no-cost TMS-like solutions will become a priority for motor carriers, asserts Blume Global CEO Pervinder Johar, who adds that motor carriers are a critical link in the supply chain — yet they are the most dispersed and least connected of transportation modes.

Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently spoke with Doug Waggoner, CEO of Chicago-based 3PL Echo Global Logistics, about various topics, including pricing, capacity, trucking insurance, and Peak Season.

Boise, Idaho-based Truckstop.com, a load board and provider of spot market freight matching services, and Chicago-based 3PL Redwood Logistics said they are partnering up to mesh their Truckstop.com’s instant load booking feature, entitled Book it Now, with Redwood’s LoadRunner TMS.

Logistics Management Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently caught up with Larry Gross, president of Gross Transporation Consulting, about the 2019 Peak Season, trade and tariffs, sourcing, and modal conditions.

The company you trust your freight with can make or break your supply chain.