Analysts say driver turnover is at its highest rate since early 2008.
Turnover rates among large long haul carriers hit 90% in the first quarter of
this year, according to the American Trucking Association.
Jason Seidl,
freight analyst with Dalhman Rose & Co., said carriers will likely face
headwinds as the move toward 2013 and the economy sputters at a slower pace than
seen earlier this year.
He said there is little room for price gains in
freight loads amid tepid demand and more carrier transitioning freight away from
truckload to asset-light divisions such as intermodal and brokerage.
In a word, the U.S. freight environment is “sluggish” — not a good word for a
sector considered a leading economic indicator.
The American Trucking Associations’ reported Tuesday (May 22) that its
seasonally adjusted Truck Tonnage Index fell 1.1% in April after increasing 0.6%
in March. The latest drop put the index at 118.7 (2000=100), down from March’s
level of 120.
Year-to-date, compared with the same period last year, tonnage was up
3.8%.
Sources: http://www.thecitywire.com/node/22091 &
http://www.thecitywire.com/node/22911#.UBvr9bSe6Rk
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