What’s the future for our industry? We can have reason to be optimistic, according to the annual “State of Logistics” report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.. The report confirmed what many freight brokers and other professionals in the trucking industry have known for some time: freight business declined over the past year.
While freight volume has declined, the industry can look forward to higher transportation rates in 2017, according to the author of the report, A.T. Kearney consultant and logistics expert Sean Monahan. He projects that while the industry will keep favoring a “shipper’s market” in the immediate future, a number of factors, such as low interest rates, low fuel rates, and continued economic growth, could lead to improved transportation business in the New Year.
Other experts point to the future effect of electronic logging devices on providing an edge for some trucking companies. John Larkin, head of transportation capital markets research at Stifel Financial Corp., believes that the adoption of ELDs will give motor carriers and advantage.
“Some shippers are stepping up as they ask carriers to begin installing ELDS now as they have decided that it is too risky to wait until the middle of December 2017 to see if their core carriers have sufficiently progressed in installing ELDs,” Larkin told delegates at an annual Truckload Carrier Association meeting, according to Fleetowner.com.
“Most shippers have little interest in using non-compliant carriers,” Larkin added. “We mention this fairly widespread trend to suggest that the impact associated with ELD implementation may be felt a little earlier than some had projected.”
Larkin also said that more collaboration between motor carriers and shippers are needed as this is an “untapped resource” that can be exploited.
The industry might be facing challenges, but seasonal spikes are expected to increase demand over the next few months. To make the most out of these seasonal spikes as well as the expected growth in the industry, register on our free truck load board today. This is a good time for motor carriers to use all their resources to stay loaded as much as possible.