A drop in the number of truckers at the smallest US trucking companies could indicate a market shift toward large carriers as spot truckload rates seek bottom.

The truck driver shortage is more a problem for large trucking operators, as the total number of drivers and small fleets grows, said Jeff Tucker, chairman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association and head of Tucker Company Worldwide.

Tucker Company Worldwide has opened its first Texas sales office in Houston.

A third-party freight broker urges shippers in the Northeast to call with plans to close operations or reschedule freight deliveries during Hurricane Sandy.