Bob Costello

On thin ice? 2013′s challenges to fleets

In Part 1 of our "On Thin Ice?" series, analysts and fleets discuss what they see happening in 2013 as far as the economy and freight are concerned and any roadblocks they see looming. Part 2 covers the impact regulations may have on trucking and surviving ...

By Avery Vise Published January 29, 2013

2012 Economic Outlook

Managing the Moving Parts With freight demand for 2012 unclear, carriers’ financial fates may rest on how they handle recruiting, rates and costs. Gone are the days – if they truly ever existed – when a trucking company’s success or failure rested solely on overall freight volume. ...

By Avery Vise Published January 1, 2012

Journal

Leading news, trucking market conditions and industry analysis Legislators ask Obama to withdraw hours rewrite President Obama should withdraw the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed hours-of-service revision because its costs would hurt the U.S. economy, House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor wrote Oct. ...

By CCJ Staff Published November 1, 2011

Finances

Market Watch 1.7 trillion reasons to worry Inflation could change how you run your business By Avery Vise Last month, the Federal Reserve reported that the aggregate reserves of depository institutions stood at $1.7 trillion. That’s a lot of money. Before September 2008, bank reserves consistently had stood at between ...

By CCJ Staff Published September 1, 2011

Market Watch

Too much of a bad thing? The driver shortage actually might become a problem By Avery Vise Perhaps the biggest open secret in trucking is that everyone wants a driver shortage. Actually, what you really want is for all of your competitors to face a shortage while you ...

By CCJ Staff Published August 4, 2011

Market Watch

Victory is an ongoing process in trucking In the 1975 film “Rollerball,” the top spectator sport is an unbelievably violent version of roller derby. It’s 2018, and corporations literally run the world. They sponsor rollerball teams as a way to distract the masses and to show ...

By Avery Vise Published July 1, 2011

Market Watch

Thank heavens for a lack of drivers Capacity constraints are critical in a volatile market By Avery Vise In April, the average price of diesel soared almost 20 cents – almost as much as the increase in March. And yet, it appears that for most of you, the ...

By CCJ Staff Published June 7, 2011

Journal

Capacity shortage looms large Rate hikes about to kick in, FTR says Truckload capacity shortages will gather momentum this year and continue through 2013 as the economy recovers and regulatory restrictions limit the driver pool, an FTR Associates economist said. Because of the economic upturn and the ...

By CCJ Staff Published May 1, 2011

Finances

Tonnage index falls in February Winter weather blamed for much of the decline The American Trucking Associations’ advance seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 2.9 percent in February after increasing a revised 3.5 percent in January. The latest drop put the adjusted index at 113.3 in ...

By CCJ Staff Published April 1, 2011

Journal

FMCSA wants EOBRs for interstate carriers Plan would apply to all carriers that use logbooks All interstate commercial truck and bus carriers that now use records of duty status (RODS) to track compliance with hours-of-service regulations would have to use electronic onboard recorders under a proposed regulation ...

By CCJ Staff Published March 6, 2011