Each week we recap the hot topics in freight and compile them into one place so you can easily stay up to date on the industry. Check back each Monday and start your week off in the know. TRANSFLO & GO!
Another December Deadline
The Dec. 16 deadline for truckers to move from AOBRDs to ELDs looms large in the transportation business, but it’s not the only hardware switch the logistics industry faces next month.
Microsoft will end its support for the Windows 10 Mobile operating system (OS) next month, which means most bar code scanners and other mobile devices used in warehouses and distribution centers will no longer have access to security patches and antivirus updates. After that point, the Windows-powered devices will still work, but they will be increasingly vulnerable to hacks and cyberattacks, putting both customer and corporate data at risk, writes Ben Ames in DC Velocity.
Ames says interviews with vendors and customers indicate that many companies will migrate to Google’s Android operating system. But whatever choice they make, experts warn that the replacement process is more complex than just making a straight trade.
What Freight Recession?
Spot Volumes Hit 5-Year High
For all the talk of a “freight recession,” October saw more spot market truckload shipments than any other month since January 2015, according to the DAT Truckload Volume Index, which reflects changes in the actual number of spot market loads moved each month.
Spot van volume rose 7.3% in October, but with plenty of capacity available, national average spot van, refrigerated, and flatbed rates fell compared to September averages.
The van rate averaged $1.80 per mile in October, including a fuel surcharge; that’s 5 cents lower than the September average and 28 cents below the October 2018 average. However, with holiday freight beginning to move, a rush of demand for trucks in the final few days of the month led to stronger pricing for carriers leading into November.