Last year was the worst year on record for motor carriers, and 2009 could be even worse. The American Trucking Associations' truckload load index dropped 23 percent — its largest drop since it started collecting data. More than 3,000 trucking companies went out of business, eliminating 6.5 percent of freight capacity. Only one other time comes close to this free-fall — the LTL trucking strike in 1994. Companies that have managed to hang on are surviving on little profit. Nearly all major trucking companies reported lower first-quarter revenues and profits as demand remained weak.
I believe so. I think the companies that are able to hang on through this will have a bright light at the end of the tunnel. The industry will eventually turn around and with fewer trucks on the road the ones still standing will benefit. We haul some pretty cheap for backhauls and I have noticed here of late that the rates have went up, not substantially but they have went up....hopefully a good sign.
Good article.
If existing trucking companies and customers wish to survive this crunch, they best be tightening their boot straps if they haven't done so already.
Our whole trucking industry is being tested and tested hard, deep pockets seem to prevail.
The strong well managed company will survive and prosperity will come to those companies left standing.
Thanks for the article, Jeff, very interesting. I do think we're going to see more and more shippers going more to intermodal as time goes on. The carriers who get involved and invested in this stand to do better in the long run, JMO. (I've seen it happen before). The carriers who look down the road to the future of transportation will be in better shape when the economy starts to turn around (whenever the hell THAT happens, right?) Working for a TL carrier is kind of scary right now, but our management does seem to have some progressive ideas that will hopefully keep us in it as time goes on.
Could a Trucking Capacity Crunch be Looming? 
for backhauls and I have noticed here of late that the rates have went up, not substantially but they have went up....hopefully a good sign.
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