11-Day Non‑Stop Flight Beats 19‑Hour Marathon
I thought Singapore airlines from Newark to Singapore in 19 hrs was exhausting. This guy flew for 11 days non-stop
Tender Rejections Hit 2022 Highs as Freight Market Soars
Tender rejection levels are now at the highest levels since March 20, 2022. The freight market is incredibly strong. https://t.co/udktseSaGk
Freight Brokers’ Cash Fuels Lucrative Trucking Lawsuits, Hurting All
The freight brokers have money, which will make trucking litigation more lucrative. This will create more lawyers and everyone will be worse off
Lawyers Will Blame Brokers for Not Vetting Drivers
If you’ve ever been in a lawsuit, it’s not what you did or didn’t do that matters, it’s what a lawyer can convince a jury that you should have done. The problem for brokers - it will be incredibly easy to...
SCOTUS Broker Liability Case Signals Major Shift for Trucking
If you aren’t familiar with how insane nuclear lawsuits are - listen to Matt break it down for you. This is why the SCOTUS broker liability case is a much watch for anyone in trucking.
Supreme Court Ruling Could Obliterate 90% of Freight Brokers
If the Supreme Court rules that brokers can be held liable for accidents, it will be a doomsday event for most brokers. We could see 90% of freight brokers wiped out due to nuclear lawsuits, which they are significantly underinsured to...
Lawyers' Lawsuit Threats Keep Brokers Blind to Truckers' Credentials
Because of lawyers and threat of nuclear lawsuits, the brokers don’t want knowledge of a trucker’s qualifications. It’s wrong, but it’s the ambulance chasing lawyers’ fault.
Military Production’s Nationwide Spread Fuels Trucking Demand
Due to the way that the military industrial complex works, manufacturing is a trucker's dream. Unlike other major manufacturing supply chains, like automotive, military production is highly distributed across the country. Suppliers are literally in all 50 states - so...
Oil Surge Boosts JBHT, HUBG and TFII
If you are looking for the best trucking play for the oil price surge, there are two primary beneficiaries: - Intermodal operators $JBHT and Hub Group $HUBG. Intermodal fuel surcharge is far below trucking fuel surcharges, so the intermodal carriers...
Higher Diesel Costs Outpaced by Rising Spot Rates
Diesel prices are up $1/gallon or $.14/mile versus a year ago. That is significant for truckers that operate in the spot market, but it is far from catastrophic. Trucking spot rates are up $.51/mile in that same period. Even with the...
Small Truckers May Idle Rigs Amid Fuel Price Volatility
If past oil surges are a guide, we could see small trucking operators park their rigs, waiting for fuel prices to stabilize.
SFO Leads Diesel Prices at $5.96/gal Nationwide Map
Map of average diesel prices by market (updated each morning). SFO has the highest at $5.96/gallon https://t.co/DgH7FMrsx0
Rising Diesel Costs Threaten Spot Market Carriers
Diesel prices have surged, but still below 2022 and 2008 levels. With the recent run up in spot rates, most carriers can absorb the current surges, but if it continues to surge, it could be detrimental for carriers operating in...
Tech, Not Troops, Drives Modern Military Dominance
America’s military success has never been a function of numbers of troops, it’s all about the use of advanced tech and an almost endless military supply chain
Diesel Surge Boosts Broker Margins via Fuel Surcharges
The diesel surge is welcome news for freight brokers that have contracted freight. Fuel surcharges will provide a lot of relief, as the diesel surge is moving much quicker than trucking spot rates. Brokers will make a couple of percent on fuel...
US to Field 2,400 F‑35s, Becoming Fourth‑largest Air Force
The US is planning to build up a fleet of 2400 F-35s, which would make it the 4th largest global air force alone. https://t.co/YAnXK2vCUQ
Rising Fuel Costs Push Small Truckers Toward Bankruptcy
Whenever fuel surges like it has, we see a rash of small carrier bankruptcies. Large fleets and big brokers benefit from high fuel prices due to fuel surcharges, smaller truckers get creamed.
Freight Fraud Takes Center Stage at Rock Hall
Nothing says freight fraud like Rock n Roll. So we are going to the Rock n Roll hall of fame in Cleveland, Ohio on May 20th to discuss the surge of cargo crime and freight fraud. Join us! https://t.co/cwOH4KCcUw
Railroads Target Trucking Share Amid Tight Capacity
Railroads wanting to win back share from trucking. May explain why intermodal rates haven't moved off the floor, while truckload rates surge. https://t.co/3TM3rE2uEI
Flatbed Slowdown, Van and Reefer Volumes Rebound
Slight change in direction. Flatbed volumes momentum slowing a tad bit, while van and reefer are starting to wake up again after pausing growth over past 10 days. https://t.co/bpYDZEvodV
Outbound Tender Rejections Near Cycle High at 14.12%
Outbound tender rejection rates trying to make a new high. +32 bps overnight. At 14.12%, the cycle high was 14.16%. https://t.co/mdeQcfAsvu
Diesel Costs Rise $0.40/gal, Adding $0.06 per Mile
Diesel prices keep surging +$.40/gallon since start of the conflict That is roughly $.06/mile https://t.co/U2lHk2MBhe
Supply Chains Shifting Back to Americas, Leaving Middle East, Asia
This is a predictable trend and highlights the importance of companies moving supply chains back to the Americas. Middle East today, Asia tomorrow.
Analysts Keep Downplaying Momentum, Repeating Past Mistakes
I am very confused why they keep downplaying the momentum. They did the same thing in 2020 during the early days of the COVID recovery and were slow to recognize the freight recession in 2022.
Trade Trucking Stocks by Timing the Freight Cycle
A lot of X folks that no knowing about the freight cycle simply look at PE ratios in trucking and assume that trucking stocks are way overvalued, but have zero clue how the freight cycle works. When the freight market...
UP‑NS Merger's 2 M Truckload Claim Is Negligible
Union Pacific claims that’s its merger with NS would take 2m truckloads off the road each year. That is approx 6k trucks in total, roughly equivalent to Prime’s fleet. Pretty inconsequential in the big scheme of things.
SONAR Data Reveals Booming Industrial Demand Surge
SONAR has been signaling a manufacturing renaissance since November. Despite a lot of pushback I’ve received over past couple of months, it’s all in the high frequency freight data. Industrial demand is popping.
High‑frequency Freight Data Reveals SONAR’s Real‑time Signals
Not a prediction. I just monitor SONAR’s signals. It’s all in the high frequency freight data
New SONAR Dashboard Tracks Surging Diesel and Oil Prices
In light of the surge in diesel and oil prices overnight, we have added a new fuel dashboard in SONAR. https://t.co/cAWkSzmzsr
Industrial Economy Gains Momentum, War Boosts Manufacturing
ISM and flatbed freight data are showing the same thing: the industrial economy is starting to ramp up. The war in Iran will also drive more strength in manufacturing, as military related manufacturing is approx 8% of all US domestic...
Nationwide Tightening Persists; only Atlanta Shows Loosening
As we roll into March, we continue to see signs that the tightening trend has legs. Blue markets = tightening momentum Orange markets = loosening momentum Atlanta is the only major market in the US that is experiencing a...
Class 8 Truck Orders Jump 159% as Fleets Trust Recovery
Class 8 (“semis”) truck orders surged 159% YoY as fleets gain confidence in recovery https://t.co/hmyEmcDtbU
Industry Events Spark Unexpectedly Bullish Channel Outlook
We had teams at multiple industry events this week. Our channel checks came back far more bullish than expected.
Flatbed Haul Length Hits Record Low Amid Rising Demand
Flatbed length of haul is shrinking and currently at the lowest levels we’ve ever seen. This is despite the fact that demand continues to surge. We believe this is because flatbed demand increases are in the rust belt and tied...
Intermodal Rail Slashes Shipper Costs by 25%
Shippers that route freight by intermodal rail versus trucking are saving more than they have since 2022, approx 25% https://t.co/Xrb8PprDhI
Freight Rates Set for Fastest Rise Since 2022
The LMI, a survey of 400+ shipper executives, affirms that freight rates should see substantial increases in coming months as transportation capacity remains tight and should tighten further. “Transportation prices are expected to significantly expand over the next 12 months, with...
DAT's Models Fail in Tight Market, Choose SONAR
Maybe if Ken wasn't so out of touch with the market, he would realize that DAT's models aren't working in a tightening market. His clients see it, he doesn't. When your data models rely strictly on the spot market and...
Stop Guessing Freight Prices—Use SONAR for Real‑Time Insight
Our SONAR team just did a one-call close with a Fortune 500 shipper that had DAT because they aren't getting answers on what is happening in real-time in the freight market and feel left astray. Don't guess with DAT. Know...
Driver Shortage Myth Fuels Broker Rise, Small Fleet Surge
The truck driver shortage lie has been around for decades. The fleet execs that pushed for it bever imagined that freight brokers would gain such a significant footing and drivers would bypass large fleets and join the smallest.
UPS Drivers Skew BLS Wage Data, Ignoring Small Fleets
Mr Spear’s argument about truck driver pay going up during the truck driver shortage is flawed. He fails to mention that the BLS survey picks up UPS truck drivers, which received the largest bump in pay in their history and make...
ATA Admits Truck Driver Shortage Narrative Was Flawed
The ATA's Chief Economist has suddenly reversed course on the truck driver shortage after their member fleets realized how damaging this narrative was to their own interests. The ATA has attacked me and accused me of "peddling narratives" to drive...
ATA's Driver Shortage Stance Reveals Capture Gone Awry
The ATA's position on the truck driver shortage has never made sense to me. After all, the whole goal of regulatory capture is to restrict new participants from joining the industry. Regulatory capture gone wrong.
Flatbed Truckloads Surge 61% on Manufacturing Demand
YoY truckload volumes, by mode: Flatbed +61% Reefer +17% Van +3% Flatbed volumes are at all time highs, led by manufacturing and heavy industry, not housing https://t.co/qst2cb1rhu
DAT’s Blind Spot Fuels Non‑Compliant Carrier Boom
The ability for non compliant motor carriers to thrive is directly related to activity that takes place on load boards. How can DAT, the largest load board in the country, not realize how pervasive the compliance crisis had become? It’s because they...
DAT's Warning on CDL Rules Proved Market Reality
Let’s hope that no one investing money in trucking stocks listened to DAT last summer when they consistently said that enforcement of English Language Proficiency and non-domiciled CDLs would have a negligible impact on the market.
SONAR Tender Rejections Predict Trucking Stock Moves
The connection is clear: Large trucking equities trade based on forward trucking market conditions and the best signal is SONAR's Tender Rejections Chart: SONAR Truckload Rejections vs. JB Hunt Stock Price https://t.co/R8Mc1l5UyF
Hedge Funds Flock to SONAR Amid Rising Tender Rejections
This SONAR chart: Outbound Tender Rejection Index (blue) vs. Knight-Swift stock price (yellow). There is a reason that hedge funds buy SONAR and it is our fastest growing cohort. https://t.co/erT8QvKIr6
Defense Production Outpaces Auto, Drives Truck Freight
US automotive production is $180B. US defense manufacturing is $220B. Don’t understimate the impact of defense production on American trucking freight.
Defense Manufacturing Tiny; Truckers Thriving Today
5% of US maufacturing is related to defense production. Today is a good day for truckers.
Driver Anonymity Fuels Organized Crime in Freight Networks
The issue is we literally have no idea who hundreds of thousands of truck drivers are due to the elimination of barriers to entry over the past decade. Organized crime is coordinating illicit activities against our freight networks every single day.