The freight market is going through a shake-up, and if you’re a small carrier, you are feeling it. Rates aren’t what they were even a month ago, and the numbers don’t lie — spot and contract rates are trending downward, rejection rates are staying low, and overall freight volume is slipping.Freight demand overall is down 6.5% month over month, and fuel costs have risen 6 cents per gallon over the same period. That means not only are there fewer loads available, but the cost to run those loads...
Trucker Tips
Interlining Freight vs. Freight Brokering
The transportation industry has wide-ranging operational roles and regulatory requirements that often overlap, causing confusion among carriers, brokers and shippers. Two of the most commonly misunderstood concepts in freight logistics are interlining freight and freight brokering. While both involve coordinating the movement of goods, they operate under distinct legal and regulatory frameworks.
Adding to the complexity is the controversial and often misunderstood role of dispatch services, or...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/interlining-freight-vs-freight-brokering
A Practical Guide to Truck Dispatching Services
The trucking industry moves more than 70% of all freight in the United States. While much of the focus is on the drivers behind the wheel, an entire logistical operation ensures that trucks stay loaded, moving, and compliant with regulations. At the center of this logistics system are truck dispatchers, key players in the supply chain responsible for connecting drivers with freight, optimizing routes, and managing administrative duties.
Truck dispatching is an important logistics component. It...
https://www.freightwaves.com/playbook/a-practical-guide-to-truck-dispatching-services
Bridging the Divide in the Truck Parking Debate
The trucking industry is at a crossroads when it comes to truck parking. Rising operational costs, shrinking profit margins, and the emergence of services like Truck Parking Club are intensifying the debate over free vs. paid parking. At the heart of this issue is balancing driver needs, property rights, security, and fair compensation.
Technology has made it easier than ever for drivers to locate parking spaces. Yet, the fundamental question remains: should truck drivers have to pay for...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bridging-the-divide-in-the-truck-parking-debate
Fighting Back Against Truck Accident Fraud and Why Visibility Matters
The trucking industry has come under siege in recent years with everything from higher taxes, high fuel costs, low-rate freight and increased insurance premiums to cargo theft, carrier ID theft and nuclear verdicts from highway accident litigation. Another recent development for carriers that must be considered is staged accidents designed to exploit insurance claims and extract massive settlements from carriers. These fraudulent schemes often orchestrated by criminal networks have plagued...
Understanding Spot Freight
In truck freight, most shipping agreements involve contracts that span anywhere from 12 to 24 months, securing consistent cargo movement at predetermined rates. However, not all freight operates on such fixed schedules. Spot freight provides an alternative for shippers who need to move a single shipment without committing to a lengthy contract. It’s like the one-night stand of cargo: it’s very transactional. You need what you need where you need it, and you may never see it again.You may even...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/understanding-spot-freight
When Towing Becomes Predatory
Towing is supposed to be a solution that helps get a disabled or wrecked truck off the road safely. But in reality, towing has become a financial ambush for many motor carriers and owner-operators. Predatory towing companies have turned what should be a straightforward recovery process into a multimillion-dollar extortion racket. It’s not just an industry problem; it’s an industry crisis.
How Predatory Towing Exploits the Trucking IndustryThe American Trucking Association (ATA) defines predatory...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/when-towing-becomes-predatory
Beyond the Wheel. How to Commoditize Your CDL and Driving Experience for Better Opportunity
Truck driving is often seen as a straightforward profession. Spend a few weeks in school. Get your CDL, hit the road, and keep the supply chain moving. But the reality doesn’t always match the expectation. Long hours, stagnant pay and evolving industry chaos leave many drivers questioning whether they chose the right career.
Some entered the industry for the freedom of the open road, only to find themselves bogged down by regulations, terrible employers and poor working conditions. Others signed...
Maximizar las tasas puntuales mientras aprovecha la carga directa del remitente
El mercado de flete es volátil, y las tasas spot fluctúan diariamente, a veces en tiempo real, lo que hace que sea difícil para los transportistas asegurar cargas consistentes y rentables. Muchas flotas pequeñas y operadores de propietarios recurren a tableros de carga y corredores para encontrar...
Maximizing Spot Rates While Leveraging Direct Shipper Freight
The freight market is volatile, and spot rates fluctuate daily, sometimes in real time, making it challenging for carriers to secure consistent, profitable loads. Many small fleets and owner-operators turn to load boards and brokers to find freight, but relying solely on the spot market is rarely a winning long-term strategy. Many fleets struggle to turn serious profits on spot-rate freight because the model often favors shippers and brokers over carriers.
So, how can trucking companies secure...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/maximizing-spot-rates-while-leveraging-direct-shipper-freight