Some of the biggest trucking companies are riding the 2018 wave well into 2019, and they’re focused more on building profit than revenue as the US economy slows.
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LTL Trucking Logistics
LTL Trucking Logistics
News pertaining to the transportation and logistics services provided by LTL (Less than truckload shipping or less than load (LTL) carriers, which transport relatively small freight. The alternatives to LTL carriers are parcel carriers or full truckload carriers. Parcel carriers usually handle small packages and freight that can be broken down into units less than 150 pounds (68 kg). Full truckload carriers move freight that is loaded into a semi-trailer. Semi-trailers are typically between 26 and 53 feet (7.92 and 16.15 m) and require a substantial amount of freight to make such transportation economical
Finally, the most commonly referenced LTL are shipments via “common” carriers that handle freight above what would normally ship via FedEx Ground, or UPS or U.S. Mail parcel services (about 150 pounds), to just under what would usually be considered a Truck Load at about 20,000 pounds or more than 14 pallets. LTL common carriers are also more likely to accept loose (non-palletized) cargo than the other two. The biggest of the LTL “Common” Carriers are the Freight divisions of FedEx and UPS, and YRC Freight (Formerly Yellow Freight and Roadway). Other large national carriers include YRC, FedEx Freight, or UPS Freight, such as: Old Dominion Freight Lines, Saia, or Estes-Express to name a few.
Top 25 LTL Trucking Companies
Webcasts
Apr 18, 2019 2:00PM EDT
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US-Mexico Trade: A New Era Takes Shape for Importers and Exporters
May 30, 2019 2:00PM EDT
News & Analysis
22 Apr 2019
The 50 largest US trucking operators grabbed a larger share of the market, while smaller carriers raised the bar in terms of revenue growth last year thanks to the strongest freight market since the 2009 recession.
18 Apr 2019
A large number of small and midsize US trucking companies report competitors charging “unsustainably low rates” in a recent Bibby Financial Services survey.
17 Apr 2019
Some Customs agents are returning to US-Mexico border crossings following weeks of cargo congestion, but long delays continue in locations such as Pharr, Texas.
17 Apr 2019
The UK freight transport industry will need government support if any real advances are to be made in decarbonizing the supply chain.
12 Apr 2019
A tentative contract would give Teamsters at carrier YRC Worldwide an 18 percent wage increase over five years but would still leave wages lower than at competing carriers.
08 Apr 2019
President Trump’s threats to shut down the US-Mexico border grabbed headlines last week, but freight congestion caused by a shift in Customs resources to handle a surge immigration is already costing US importers millions of dollars each day.
08 Apr 2019
Trucking operators and shippers should be keeping a close eye on the implementation of a National Drug and Alcohol Driver Database and other potential regulatory changes that will affect available capacity.
05 Apr 2019
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.
04 Apr 2019
With cross-border freight already delayed and logistics costs rising, businesses must plan for a potential closure of the US-Mexico border threatened by President Trump.
03 Apr 2019
Top 10 freight broker GlobalTranz continued its recent acquisition spree at the same time it was acquired by a former equity investor.
02 Apr 2019
Truck pricing may be falling, but there are plenty of issues to keep US shippers and carriers engaged, including legalized marijuana, tighter driver rules, and automation.
01 Apr 2019
The largest 50 US trucking firms saw their share of for-hire revenue jump by double digits last year compared with pre-recession levels, as shippers give bigger carriers more business.
22 Mar 2019
Terms of the tentative pact between the Teamsters union and the largest unionized LTL operator aren’t final yet, but the extension of the current contract until May 31 should reassure skittish shippers.
21 Mar 2019
Shippers should be on the lookout for increases in trucking and parcel accessorial charges as freight rates come under increasing pressure.
20 Mar 2019
Higher volumes of lighter weight, short-distance e-commerce packages sap revenue and yield at FedEx Express, which also expects slower growth in international trade.
19 Mar 2019
As a multi-state region is devastated by historic flooding, shippers are rerouting, delaying cargo until waters recede and the full impact on truck capacity becomes clear.
18 Mar 2019
US economic growth and concerns over import tariffs combined with high truck utilization rates and tighter regulation of drivers to send freight rates soaring last year, spurring double-digit revenue growth at the largest US less-than-truckload and truckload carriers.
14 Mar 2019
A 20-point second-half drop in driver turnover rates at large truckload carriers indicates aggressive wage increases attracted drivers in 2018, helping to reset capacity in the trucking market.
13 Mar 2019
With the current labor agreement at YRC Worldwide expiring March 31, shippers are anxious for a new contract at one of the largest US LTL operators.
12 Mar 2019
Completion of a $450 million rights offering will keep Roadrunner’s LTL and truckload capacity on the road as the operator attempts to rebuild its business.
11 Mar 2019
Warehousing and storage companies increased employment a healthy 7 percent in February, outpacing overall US employment growth of 1.6 percent.
05 Mar 2019
The second-largest US LTL carrier reported growth in shipments and revenue in the first quarter, albeit at lower rates than in 2018.
05 Mar 2019
With spot and contract rates moving in opposite directions, trucking providers tell TPM 2019 it’s difficult to predict exactly where the market is headed in 2019.
26 Feb 2019
Double-digit revenue increases may be more difficult to come by this year than in 2018, but profits and acquisitions are expected to fuel the fastest-growing truckload and LTL companies.
20 Feb 2019
US transportation markets are coming into balance, heading toward slower growth in volume and pricing in 2019, according to economic indicators and reports.
15 Feb 2019
Despite a forecast loss of $600 million in e-commerce revenue, XPO Logistics expects to increase revenue 3-5 percent in 2019, as it enters a more mature phase of growth.
14 Feb 2019
COO and soon-to-be CEO Bob Biesterfeld tells JOC.com US truckload rates are likely to continue to rise in 2019 despite a rebalancing of capacity.
12 Feb 2019
New England Motor Freight will be delivered in "orderly" liquidation blamed on loss of key accounts, driver shortage, "onerous" union contract.
11 Feb 2019
Shevell Group's Chapter 11 filing involves 10 related businesses, including truckload carrier Eastern Freightways, Apex Logistics, and Carrier Industries, a warehousing and dedicated trucking business.
08 Feb 2019
US truck capacity loosened significantly in the first quarter, especially on the spot market, but shippers shouldn't expect a "glut" of excess capacity this year.
06 Feb 2019
Collaboration is still high on the to-do list of US shippers and their transportation and logistics partners in 2019, despite slower economic expansion.
05 Feb 2019
A brave new world of complex supply chains, consumer demands, and urbanization means problems rooted in truck capacity and driver availability are likely to get worse, regardless of the economic cycle.
01 Feb 2019
The US economy won't run off the road this year, but keep an eye on trade, tariffs, and 2020, economists say at SMC3's Jump Start 2019 event.
29 Jan 2019
Ripples from last year’s ELD mandate are still reverberating down rail tracks.
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Commentary
Shippers need to ‘tune in’ as ELD deadline draws closer