I read this yesterday and thought I'd pass it along to you guys if you're interested. It's part of a series so stay tuned for part two.

Link

 

Very interesting.

 

I thought so too hh. I'm interested to read the next part as well.

 

even though I don't thing long hull will ever 100% be out, I thing they will be less and less. Also, I think it'll be important for truckers to learn many aspects, ie, flatbed, containers, multiples instead of picking one corner and staying with it. Me moving from dry van to container hulling might be a blessing for my carrier.

 

Some of the major carriers have been talking about more regional hauling for their businesses for the last few years. I think that much of their decision is due to many drivers wanting to be home more frequently. Unless we change our economy back to a manufacturing economy we will likely continue to utilize more containerized freight. Ships and rail still cannot meet the current consumer demands. Shippers and brokers will continue to need trucks for coast to coast shipping. Some rail has been hauling produce, but they still cannot meet current shipping schedules without trucks. Major carriers can only handle about 10% of the available freight with their own trucks. They broker what they cannot handle with their own assets.

 

I hope your right gman, to be honest, I love picking up in NC and delivering to washington state. I love the changes from one part of the country to the other, one day your in a flat green area, and 2 days later you wake up looking at the Rockies in the distance, the next your on the salt flats of salt lake

 

I agree and that's why I thought this part of the article was interesting. I hope their right in their prediction.

 

I enjoy traveling from coast to coast, too, but with the current rates it isn't worth it. The better rates tend to be for regional runs. That has always been true. The major carriers still control much of the freight, but don't haul it on their own trucks. Shippers and brokers still need the smaller carriers. Without the small guys this country would come to an abrupt halt. Freight would sit on loading docks. :thumbsup:

 

There was a time in this country when we made nearly everything we consumed. Manufacturing was done more regionally to serve that area of the country. We even had dozens of brands of big trucks. I hope that we will eventually move back toward a more regional manufacturing base. Even a national manufacturing base would be good. I am afraid with this new healthcare tax that we could see more movement out of the country due to the higher cost of doing business in this country. Government can throw higher taxes and regulations on business, but there comes a point when it is no longer profitable to make their wares in this country. It is more profitable to move operations abroad and import those products.

 

I did as well, years ago when the rates were better, now the rates are to low to justify running coast to coast.

My trucks are on dedicated runs now, and I make more money being home everyday or every other day than I ever did running coast to coast.

Many things in trucking are changing. Carriers are moving away from long hauls and going to shorter regional runs because it is more profitable for the carriers. Areodynamic trucks are replacing outdated long nosed trucks. I read an interesting article in the Canadian trucking paper about how the long nosed trucks are going to be a thing of the past,

I am in business to make money, and if we want to continue to be profitable we need to change with the times. We now only run short hauls, and have started to phase out the older trucks with areodynamic trucks and seeing great results.