2014 Trucking Outlook: 4 key challenges facing trucking industry growth

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Updated Feb 14, 2014
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Looking at the various metrics and indexes surrounding the transportation industry, there is plenty of reason for optimism as we embark on a new year. Inflation is still a ways off, interest rates remain low – at least by historical standards – while the industrial production and manufacturing sectors show signs of continued growth and the automobile and housing markets continue to climb steadily out of the recession.

The sentiment of fleet executives reflects these positive trends. According to the November 2013 Randall-Reilly MarketPulse survey of for-hire fleet executives, more than half (51.6 percent) expect business conditions to be “better” or “much better” in the next six months, compared to only 3.1 percent that said conditions will worsen.

However, there still are plenty of challenges facing carriers that are impeding – or halting altogether – their ability to grow. Based on the CCJ 2014 Economic Outlook survey of for-hire fleet executives (213 respondents), here is a look at the top four challenges respondents to the survey said they will face this year. Click the link below to begin. You may also download the free 2014 Trucking Outlook report at the end of the article.