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About Freight Talk

Freight Talk is the official blog of TransCore Freight Solutions.  Here you'll find the latest transportation industry news, views and events for brokers, carriers, shippers and 3PLs.

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Freight Talk Blog

Read and Discuss the Latest Transportation Industry News and Trends
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  • House Delays Transport Bill, Including $100K Broker Bond, HOS Study

    Posted 19 hours ago
    by
    • 9 Comments
    Some portions of the bill are supported by trucking and brokerage industry associations, others are not. Here are links to analysis from the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and Owner Operators and Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA...

  • The New Normal: Brokers Pay More than Shippers in 15% of Q4 Van Lanes

    Posted 21 hours ago
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    • 3 Comments
    Beginning in April 2011, I have been sampling the average truckload rates in 7,600 van lanes across North America and comparing the broker buy rate on the spot market with the shippers’ direct contract rates. We designed two separate rate databases...

  • More Than 70% of Brokers Pay for Employees' Smart Phones

    Posted 22 hours ago
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    • 0 Comments
    When it comes to technology, freight brokers are very practical about their business purchases. A cool new gadget or software package interests them only when it offers a good return on investment, usually with efficiency improvements. That’s one...

  • Week in Review: 2/17/2012

    Posted 02-17-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    Hey team! Sorry for the brief hiatus. We've been working on some great projects like this one and a few others I can't talk about quite yet... but soon! I promise. Here's a list of headlines that caught my eye this week. DC Velocity posted...

  • Rate Trend of the Week: Los Angeles Rates Increase for Vans and Reefers

    Posted 02-17-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    What's Hot: Flatbed rates from Atlanta increased 3.8% in the past week as the lane from Atlanta to Charlotte rose 16% to $1.67/mile. The return route, from Charlotte to Atlanta was one of our top gaining lanes and makes for a profitable round trip...

  • Is Texting Worse Than Dangerous Driving? CSA Thinks So.

    Posted 02-14-2012
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    • 3 Comments
    At the end of January, FMCSA announced that 5 new texting and cell phone violations were being added to the Unsafe Driving BASIC. Since the FMCSA decided to ban commercial drivers from using mobile devices while driving on January 3 rd , it is no surprise...

  • 2011 in the Rear View Mirror: Economy Up 1.8%, Truck Freight Grows 5.7%

    Posted 02-12-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    Economic growth was sluggish in 2011, with GDP growth stalled at 1.8% and unemployment near 9%. How did economic and other trends affect trucking in 2011? This infographic sums up the year, and leads to a series of articles about seven ways in which 2011...

  • Rate Trend of the Week: Reefer Rates are Up from Los Angeles

    Posted 02-10-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    What's Hot: Van rates from Dallas and Atlanta both recorded gains and are hot markets for freight availability. Flatbed rates jumped 2% in the past week as rates in Eastern markets (including: Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia) rose on westbound freight...

  • Rate Trend of the Week: Van Rates Begin the Road to Recovery

    Posted 01-27-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    Earlier this week Trendlines reported a decline in freight as capacity rose. I'm seeing this activity reflected in the rates that I captured from the past week. Van rates hit rock-bottom this past week but I expect to see them rebound soon. Flatbed...

  • Live Discussion is Moving to Twitter!

    Posted 01-23-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    I have some great news... We're taking our live discussion forum to Twitter! Follow #freighttalk every Monday at 4:30pm (Pacific) for the latest discussion with Mark Montague, industry expert. We ( @transcorefs ) will be tweeting rates, freight trends...

  • Week in Review: 1/20/2012

    Posted 01-23-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    I'm still trying to dry off from all the rain we've been getting here in Portland. Here are a few articles that caught my eye. I'll have more for you next week! Do you think the driver shortage a myth? Jim Park from Trucking Info thinks it...

  • 2011 in the Rear View Mirror: Extreme Weather Affects Seasonal Shipping

    Posted 01-22-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    In addition to supply chain disruptions caused by the Japanese earthquake and flooding in Thailand , the U.S. was wracked by regional droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms and floods in 2011. Domestic weather events added up to 14 disasters...

  • Rate Trend of the Week: Rates Decline Seasonally in Mid-January

    Posted 01-20-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    Rates for all equipment types dipped as recorded on Truckload Rate Index , in major markets, in the seven days ending January 18. Let's drill down and find out what happened: Van : Van rates from major markets all declined in the past week but nationally...

  • New Year’s Resolution: Save On Your Insurance 8 Ways

    Posted 01-19-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    2012 is a brand new year, full of new beginnings! So what are your New Years resolutions? Being the insurance geek that I am, I start to daydream: if I didn't have to pay insurance premiums (any of them, car, house, business, life, health, dental...

  • 2011 in the Rear View Mirror: More Freight, More Emphasis on Intermodal and Spot Market

    Posted 01-18-2012
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    • 1 Comments
    Shippers tried some new tactics in 2011, in an effort to cut costs and streamline the supply chain. Some of the changes will likely persist and become trends; others were just one-time adjustments to an industry in transition. Here are a few supply chain...

  • 2011 in the Rear View Mirror: Fuel Costs Rise 28%

    Posted 01-18-2012
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    • 1 Comments
    The national average price for diesel in 2011 was $3.84 per gallon, up 28% from the 2010 average of $2.99. Even the low price for 2011 was not all that low compared to the previous year. In the first week of January 2011, the national average price was...

  • 2011 in the Rear View Mirror: Trucking Rules! CSA, HOS, Phones

    Posted 01-18-2012
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    • 3 Comments
    Trucking regulations were in the news throughout 2011. The big ones, including CSA, the new HOS and the ban on handheld phones, had less of an impact than many people expected or feared. Headlines in 2012 are likely to focus on the impact of those rules...

  • 2011 in the Rear View Mirror: Capacity Dwindles, Due to Lack of Trucks and Drivers

    Posted 01-17-2012
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    • 16 Comments
    Freight volume increased throughout 2011, but the excitement of new business was accompanied by a constant drumbeat of concern about capacity shortages. That’s because the industry lost as many as 325,000 trucks, representing 18% of available capacity...

  • “Shipping Wars” vs. Shipping Bores

    Posted 01-16-2012
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    • 3 Comments
    I was flipping channels the other night, and caught the pilot of “Shipping Wars.” It was pretty entertaining, although I had to reassure my husband that professional trucking companies would not indulge in some of the risky behaviors seen...

  • Rate Trend of the Week: Van Rates Continue to Dip but Flatbed Rates are Up, for Now

    Posted 01-13-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    Van : Van rates are declined in the past week, as recorded on Truckload Rate Index , with only Memphis recording the only major market increase. Outbound van rates are the highest in Memphis, so it makes sense that this market would go against the downward...

  • Week in Review: 1/6/2012

    Posted 01-06-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    Hey Guys, Happy Friday! (and Happy Birthday Mom !) Well hellllllllo 2012! Hope your start to this New Year has been a productive one. It's going to be a big year for us and we have a lot in store for you. I can't wait to share it with y'all...

  • Rate Trend of the Week: Flatbed and Reefer Rates Pick Up

    Posted 01-06-2012
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    • 0 Comments
    Van rates remained stable while both flatbed and reefer rates rose 1.9% in the seven days ending January 4. Vans: Post-holiday van rates didn't record much overall change. The Stockton market gained some speed and recovered a 4.6% uptick in rates...

  • 2011 in the Rear View Mirror: Contract Rates Follow the Spot Market Up

    Posted 01-03-2012
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    • 4 Comments
    The first in a series of articles on trends and events that shaped trucking in 2011 and will affect the industry in 2012. Going into 2011, one year ago, various experts speculated on 2011 rate increases. Shippers hoped to hold rate increases to the 4...

  • 2011 Top Blog Posts

    Posted 12-30-2011
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    • 0 Comments
    Happy (almost) New Years Eve, everyone. It's been one great year at TransCore and we're excited for all that 2012 has to offer (and believe me, we have a lot in store for 2012). But before I get too far ahead of myself, let's take a look back...

  • Final HOS ruling retains 11-hour day but reduces weekly limit

    Posted 12-22-2011
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    • 0 Comments
    Hours of Service rules will retain the 11-hour day for truck drivers but other changes will shorten the work week. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued the new HOS regulations today. Here are the highlights: Effective date is...
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