tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51910344023336959142011-12-01T21:31:10.925-08:00The blog of an experienced freight broker working in South Carolina.Kennoreply@blogger.comBlogger221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-31559623201371968822009-09-09T09:54:00.000-07:002009-09-09T10:42:44.574-07:00

09/09/09...time for a quick update on our wonderful industry.For those of you who have not had a customer plant closure or customer bankruptcy over the past 9 months; consider yourself extremely fortunate. The economic slowdown created ripples that are still being felt and I have no idea how the true asset based carriers have been able to survive over the past 12 months, especially after last

Kennoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-90142409684009038522009-02-22T18:50:00.000-08:002009-02-22T19:06:27.568-08:00

Just a quick update to keep everyone in the know on what is going on the transportation industry.Markets continue to deteriorate and with this meltdown truckload rates are plunging to depths not seen in 9 or 10 years. Fuel prices have dropped and stabilized to a point where most carriers and brokers are quoting flat, all in prices as everyone scrambles for scraps of business to keep companies

Kennoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-38242948168723677822008-12-10T14:48:00.000-08:002008-12-10T15:12:15.853-08:00

As 2008 winds down I think back to the hurdles we as transportation intermediaries, 3pls, freight brokers or whatever you want to call our industry experienced. I recall the first quarter when fuel prices were climbing as freight rates were irrationally going down, which led into the second quarter where we saw even more trucking companies to go bankrupt as fuel prices continued to climb, and

Kennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-25250200129276303232008-12-04T12:13:00.000-08:002008-12-04T12:39:00.015-08:00

In my recent travels I saw a bumper sticker that made me smile. It stated, "I'm voting for the Old Man and the Hot Chick"-in reference to the recent presidential election. As the truck turned left in front of me I began to recall other bumper stickers that have humored me and the one that stands out in my mind relevant to the transportation industry is the large sticker on the rear door of some

Kennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-80561823471485017532008-12-01T14:44:00.000-08:002008-12-03T06:24:06.837-08:00

As I was perusing through the bottom drawer of my file cabinet I stumbled across quite a few files of customers I called on in the past that are no longer in business and I couldn't help but wonder which companies might be next. It was officially announced today that the United States has been in a recession since December of 2007. I believe I speak for most everyone in the transportation

Kennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-34867427869286099262008-11-24T11:05:00.000-08:002008-11-25T09:58:27.393-08:00

I apologize for the long hiatus, but I have returned just in time for Thanksgiving and I wish everyone out there a happy turkey day.My, oh my, how things have changed since my last post. We made it through extremely high fuel prices, we made it through another Presidential election and now we are going to have to make it through a bad economic period; and each company out there should give thanks

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-91017808085276570122008-05-09T10:38:00.000-07:002008-05-09T11:14:00.819-07:00

The transportation industry always seems to be constantly changing with new challenges (or opportunities-however you want to see it) right around the corner and no advanced warning of what lies ahead. And this is where the industry is today. Higher diesel fuel prices and low rates have driven many carriers out of business or caused one truck shows to park the rig to wait things out. Produce

Kennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-55020053413044811262008-04-11T07:27:00.001-07:002008-04-11T07:47:39.465-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted due to many reasons and factors, but I won't waste time by elaborating.Needless to say, our transportation world continues to be tilted by the extremely high fuel prices being paid. More and more truckload carriers are beginning to park trucks rather than lose money and more truckload carriers are shutting their doors. The combination of low freight rates

Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-10004290462856702582008-03-12T10:46:00.000-07:002008-03-12T11:09:46.192-07:00

The escalating diesel fuel prices are beginning to impact truck capacity, at least in the short term. We are finding it more difficult to assign trucks to loads on all of our lanes, not just specific ones. Locally, I know of one truckload carrier that had more than 100 tractors that closed its doors last week, more than likely a casualty of cash flow problems created by the spike in fuel

Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-91989443012138411012008-02-29T09:58:00.000-08:002008-02-29T10:22:05.767-08:00

With it being the last day of the month and leap year at that, I thought I would write a quick blurb about the week and what I have noticed.Trucks are beginning to demand more money to haul the same loads than they have in the past six months. Is this because of the higher fuel prices or is it because it is the last week of the month? Trucks traditionally become scarce during the last week of

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-45611486881668419302008-02-26T12:14:00.000-08:002008-02-26T12:29:18.852-08:00

I receive a regular report from Morgan Stanley listing a Truckload Freight Index and according to the information provided on the report, truckload carriers are not doing enough to take truck capacity out of the equation to bring supply and demand closer together. Trucking companies are still purchasing new trucks to replace their older models, (they held off on doing this in 2007 because of

Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-82353365769358154442008-02-25T18:59:00.000-08:002008-02-25T20:09:07.688-08:00

Each week the Department of Energy releases a report showing the National Average price of diesel fuel as well as showing the average price in different regions throughout the country. The California region consistently leads the average among the regions with their strict emission standards and taxes included in the price of diesel at the pump and this weeks jump in diesel prices is causing a

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-9699524518902036082008-02-20T05:47:00.000-08:002008-02-20T06:35:49.223-08:00

As the freight world sits in a somewhat static freight recession, most of the business out there is being driven by rate reductions and cost savings, which slightly favors freight brokers and logistics companies. But it doesn't mean that every company will be opening their traffic doors to the non-asset based model, because asset based carriers are catching up to speed, trying to capture or

Kennoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-63092748743570981472008-02-05T12:01:00.000-08:002008-02-05T12:36:59.539-08:00

I report to you from the trenches on the front lines of the brokerage industry, giving you up to date information on what I see.Although the big rig called the U.S. economy appears to have hit the air brakes, it might be more akin to it hitting the jake brake. For our company, January was a very good month with great revenue weeks, besides the first week of the year. Was the freight held over

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-74671052105060832652008-01-18T14:17:00.000-08:002008-01-18T15:03:24.328-08:00

At the end of each year Transport Topics reviews the mergers and acquisitions that have taken place over the past twelve months in the transportation industry, giving readers a brief synopsis of changes with small and large companies. And yes, these mergers/acquisitions do impact the transportation industry, sometimes causing the big to become bigger and the small to become non-existent. The

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-9050713749967434282008-01-15T14:15:00.000-08:002008-01-15T14:49:56.843-08:00

For all freight brokers out there, there is a constant internal struggle when submitting rates. Don't get me wrong. I am well aware that the price is determined by the market, (a law of supply and demand). The scenario I am referring to is one created by competition; where the broker has to submit a competitive rate to get the business, but at the same time the broker must submit a rate that

Kennoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-90391398366984237932008-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:002008-01-14T13:11:42.324-08:00

I sometimes wonder how everyone in the freight broker business began their careers, especially with the multitude Freight Broker Training classes available. Most of the original freight broker pioneers are getting close to retirement age, giving way to a younger generation, logistics companies and trucking companies that have added the brokerage model to increase revenue. The industry once

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-69369958981704080262008-01-11T07:34:00.000-08:002008-01-11T08:07:56.747-08:00

I read a blurb on the TIA website about the future "up tick" for our economy and I wonder when it is going to come. I have yet to see any reports of freight for the fourth quarter of 2007, but I know from experience that it is down. Our Federal Reserve Chairman speaks of cutting interest rates to stave off a recession, but I don't know if it is too little or too late. Housing continues to be

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-35109967609085272522008-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:002008-01-07T13:35:39.014-08:00

Kennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-60822345944115606752008-01-07T06:01:00.000-08:002008-01-07T12:24:55.252-08:00

In reading The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman, I couldn't help but think of the many ways our world has changed over the past twenty years, and the effect of these changes on our business. The freight broker of the not too distant past relied on the telephone and his contacts written down on a sheet of paper or stored in a rolodex file. He or she might have one containing a list of shippers

Kennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-22863494288741278012008-01-04T06:20:00.000-08:002008-01-04T06:43:46.789-08:00

As I was scanning the web while doing research for our company website I came across hundreds of websites advertising Freight Broker Training. What is the deal? Are there that many people looking to become freight brokers? Or do they see only see easy $ signs??My advice to them is do your homework. If you don't know someone in the transportation industry who can give you guidance or freight, or

Kennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5191034402333695914.post-64510950089915721222008-01-03T13:38:00.000-08:002008-01-03T14:29:51.283-08:00

Collaboration-to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort.

Kennoreply@blogger.com0