This is something that I have thought and it boils down to us to, because we deliver the goods at the end of the day, over all LTL and Local Delivery as a whole I think are doing alright LTL in 2015 was only down -0.5% from where it was in 2014, which was a fairly busy year, however 2015 wasn't a record breaking year. The only company that really topped the charts in 2015 was Old Dominion as we've discussed. It always seems even in a bad market there's one or two companies that get lucky and manage to really find there way through. OD picked up all of XPO's mistakes, by the way Conway Truck Load what's XPO doing with them anyone know?
Right now I think were in a little bit of an economic down turn, although nothing like 2008. Where I work were busy, depending on the route, schools going to be out soon and that will slow my route down, but come August I'll be stuffed to the gills, however I was wondering how the truck load segment was doing and I guess there in a little slow patch right now. I see the O/O's over on there side of the board are wondering why freight is so cheap. Well I had thought about this and even brought it up to other members of the board when ever we talk about purchase transport and just as a person on the street putting 2 and 2 together I thought, it sure seems there are plenty of 'firms' out there offering 53' dry van truck load service and the fact that LTL companies find it cheaper to hire out to these 'firms' then use there own trucks and trailers which they already own and I guess depending on the company are paid for says something about the 53' dry van truck load sleeper cab companies. So then I thought there must excess capacity in the truck load market. I used to think I knew most of the trucking companies, but I wasn't even close there are truck load carriers out there I never even heard of before and I swear these are pop up companies they come and go. Drive by almost any LTL yard and you'll see trailers from weird companies and it's like who are these companies I've never even seen there trucks before? I'm sitting there going all these companies all doing the same thing plus these big huge companies like Swift, Schneider, Werner, Bar Nunn and Celadon and all these owner operators and then these fly by night outfits that are here today and gone tomorrow and I'm sitting here thinking there's a lot of 53' dry vans out there that's got to be driving prices down on that end?
Well sure enough I was kind of right.
I did some digging and Swift and Werner both said they were getting beat up on price a little bit and Werner is tired of getting beat up on price. That's my interpretation of it, they said it a little nicer and more flowery then that. Anyhow from the reports I read truck load companies are having a harder time finding loads. Apparently in 2014 there were more loads to be had and it was a problem with capacity to find trailers to put the loads in, now I guess it's swung the other way. Werner I guess parked a few trucks although the number of trucks they parked was a drop in the bucket compared to what there fleet is. It from the sounds of it thought doesn't really sound like the big truck load carriers are parking trucks and trailers and terminals are over flowing with equipment out into the street, what it sounded though more or less was there's stuff moving, but there's also empty trailers sitting in terminals and because of that prices have come down and basically truck load fleets right now are more then what they need to be equipment wise I guess driver shortage wise it's not a problem because these companies have such an overturn of people, however there not that much more then what they need to be so what I can deduct is the major firms are going to keep trucks they have and not really increase capacity because right now there's slightly more capacity on the truck load side then there are loads and shippers are demanding cheaper rates because you know fuel prices are down. So right now the truck load companies have them selves in a little bit of a hole.
The good news is LTL companies aren't in nearly as bad of shape there's fewer LTL companies then there are truck load companies and LTL is more of a niche thing with more of a niche customer base. It seems to me that 53' dry van freight is a feast or famine type deal, but LTL, tanker, distribution and delivery and food and beverage stuff is more stable. Now granted restaurant deliveries might go in the toilet, but food companies do way more then just restaurants that's just one spoke in the wheel. LTL does more then truck load, truck load is A-B usually maybe A-B-C sometimes, but LTL is A-B-C-D-E-F-G LTL is distribution mode actually getting the product to the end user, it's why some of the trailers and trucks have lift gates on them ha-ha.
According to the reports in JOC Swift reported 4.7% drop in the first quarter of this year and profits down 15.7%. However while customers on the truck load side are demanding rock bottom pricing, the truck load companies will not let these customers get away with it and when the 'soft' economy of 2016 bounces back and truck load capacity is at 'equilibrium' then shippers who demanded priority pricing will now have to pay. Overall though the whole sale truck load business thinks that shortly coming up here they will be back to normal and operating at full capacity so it'll be interesting we shall see. Oh by the way Swift has over 20,000 tractors which is just ginormous.
Canon Drivers For Mac
Linehaul Driver (Current Employee) – Kansas City, MO – July 8, 2018 I've been driving 32yrs now and can tell you I've seen it all. Unfortunately due to family reasons I had to leave one of Saia's compeditors.
Linehaul Driver Pay
- Saia LTL Freight 361 reviews. Class A CDL Drivers*. This position involves driving of a tractor-trailer over the road as a Linehaul driver.
- We've got the miles and the runs to keep you going. As a Line Haul Driver, you’ll see a lot of opportunities transporting shipments from terminal to terminal. Our line haulers average 2,500 miles a week. If you’re a pro at operating a variety of tractor-trailer combinations, we’ve got a place for you on our team.