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The truck driver shortage is on everyone’s radar. It’s affecting everything from UPS package delivery to heavy equipment transport, and reports on the shortage have made headlines in the Wall Street Journal and provoked feature stories on NBS news. But there’s another shortage—one that’s still only recognized by transportation insiders and that’s already having a […]
The cost of shipping—from agricultural hauling to heavy equipment transport—is climbing. The only debate is exactly how much costs are rising. According to various sources:
City traffic and congestion are nothing new. In 44 BC, Gaius Iulius Caesar issued the following edict: “After next January 1st, no one shall drive a wagon along the streets of Rome or along those streets in the suburbs where there is continuous housing after sunrise or before the tenth hour of the day.” That’s […]
Commercial trucks move 70% of all freight transported annually in the U.S. — $671 billion worth of goods. Trucks transport vital goods like disaster relief supplies and military vehicles. They literally keep “keep America moving.” They’re clearly valuable tools with long-reaching effects.
We all know that transportation costs are on the rise. Logistics and supply chain consulting firm PLG Consulting predicted trucking costs would rise 8-10% this year. The third annual Element Fleet Management Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Index (released this past April) reported an 88.0 score: a “marked increase” from the 2015 and 2016 scores […]
During Roadcheck 2017, Hours of Service violations (HOS) topped the list of driver violations, as a whopping 32.3% of drivers were found to be over their allotted hours. And though the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance hasn’t released the results from this year’s annual enforcement event (held June 5-7), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) […]
Blowouts are scary. Even scarier are their all-too-often consequences. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that tires were a contributing factor in accidents that injured 19,000 people in 2015. Even worse, 733 people died in 2016 in crashes in which tire malfunction contributed to the accident.
The future is here. Autonomous trucks are on the road. Soon, there will be squads of driverless semis zooming down the highways, imperiling auto drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and stealing jobs from thousands of truckers.
“The U.S. doesn’t have enough truckers, and it’s starting to cause prices of about everything to rise.” “Every single day is a battle to find drivers.”
Carriers rule (at least in today’s capacity environment). The driver shortage, increased demand, and the new Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate have shifted the balance of power to the carrier.