Trucking industry economists say – after a 2018 that saw record-setting levels of freight-hauling demand and driver pay as tonnage levels reached a 20-year high – the industry is expected to remain strong in 2019 but undergo a bit of a cool-down.
Tag Archives: Over-The-Road & LTL
For years, shippers were warned about the looming driver shortage. Trucking executives sometimes were accused of “crying wolf” when it came to driver shortages to secure rate increases – until 2018. Suddenly, the wolf was real and had teeth, in the form of higher spot and contract rates and rejected freight tenders that drove double-digit cost increases.
Looking back, looking forward. It’s what we do here at the end of the year, an artificial boundary in time. Reporting on the trucking industry was eventful in 2018, and it looks to get even more exciting in 2019. Here are nine areas I believe we’ll be keeping a close eye on in the new year.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s pre-holiday granting of petitions to preempt California’s meal and rest break rules for truck drivers, which differ from current federal hours-of-service regulations, is being met with either cheers or jeers from a range of trucking stakeholders.