By Verlen Larsen Whether it’s an unknown football team defeating an established champion or a newcomer athlete knocking an unbeatable opponent off their pedestal, we all love rooting for the plucky underdog with heart. But you’re not an underdog anymore. Now that you’ve grown your fleet to 20-200 vehicles, you’re steadily racing to the front
Pumped up fuel prices The benchmark diesel price that the trucking industry uses to calculate fuel surcharges hit a new record on Monday. The Dept. of Energy/Energy Information Administration weekly retail diesel price jumped 74.5 cents to $4.85 per gallon, 9 cents higher than the previous record on July 14, 2008. Fuel prices are up everywhere but
Just like any business, carriers always have their eye on higher profits. But with so many conflicting priorities, it’s difficult to know which areas will have the greatest impact on your bottom line. To help you improve fleet management and boost your revenue, we’ve put together a few expert tips on the topic. Read on for three pointers to help you control costs and run a more profitable fleet business. 1. Set Smart Goals On the
The demand for freight visibility is intense. Blame it on the “Amazon Effect,” or whatever you will, but the impacts are felt by all shippers, third-party logistics (3PL) and motor carriers. Each has customers expecting to have the same, instant access to delivery information on truckload shipments as they do on parcels delivered to their doorsteps. Demand for freight visibility has only accelerated during the past 18 months of global supply chain disruptions, manufacturing delays and depleted inventories. According to a pre-pandemic survey in 2019, shippers and freight brokers lacked confidence in carriers’
The North American supply chain has an increasing problem with port congestion, leading to fluctuating consumer goods inventories. The more our team examined this issue; it became clear the problems were taking on a snowball effect spreading through the supply chain from the shipper to the consumer, and everyone in between. There are many questions
Six years in a row now, the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) Critical Issues in Trucking report has listed driver shortage and driver retention as the highest among fleet concerns. To address these issues, carriers can’t simply eliminate all the frustrations drivers experience in a workday – that’s near impossible. However, fleets can at least remove certain common pain points by effectively using telematics data and the right mobile application. As fleets scramble to offer competitive pay and benefit
Capacity is stretched thin and supply chains are in disarray. To keep assets moving, freight brokers and motor carriers are utilizing new mobile strategies to stay connected with drivers and provide tools they need to work smarter (both inside and outside the cab). Transportation companies have competing interests when choosing mobile technology. For efficiency’s sake, they
At the height of the Cold War, there’s a story that will forever live on in the hearts and minds of Americans. Well, at least for those of us who are old enough to remember. In one of the most nail-biting moments in Olympic history, the underdog American hockey team of college players beat the
With 3G sunsetting already under way by major wireless carriers, the time in now to pre-register to secure your fleet’s ELD replacements and make room for faster 4G connectivity. Vehicles still using 3G devices (including the Transflo T7 ELDs) need a plan ASAP to replace them with 4G models (aka Transflo T-9 devices). Many carriers and drivers have already requested new devices, are installing them, or
Motor carriers are holding onto used assets until new equipment arrives. Recently the wait has been taking longer than anticipated. Build slots for new trucks and trailers are filled through 2022 amid unprecedented demand for capacity and a manufacturing backlog caused by global shortages of chipsets and other materials. Extending trade cycles create risks. The cost to