In 2017 we saw the beginnings of a perfect storm in the transportation industry – a convergence of factors that have caused rates to go up and made it difficult for some to find trucks. Here are three important factors that will influence what the market looks like in 2018:
- We expect capacity to remain tight and possibly get even tighter due to influences such as expectations of faster economic growth, ELD enforcement, and continued difficultly finding drivers.
- Tight capacity could mean pricing changes, especially in the LTL marketplace, for shippers in 2018. For example, look for more carriers to implement the use of the alternative minimum charge shipment calculation that we saw in the later half of 2017.
- In 2018, we expect more companies, especially retailers, to use chargebacks to penalize suppliers if they don't make the on-time delivery window. While one or two fines aren't a big deal, these charges can add up and have a big impact on your profitability.
If you're wondering where to start in getting your transportation plans together for the year ahead, we encourage you to sign up for our Rapid Assessment.
We're on your team, we're here to help, and we're passionate about seeing you be successful. If you have any questions, give us a call at 630-833-0890 or send us an email.
