Uncertainty hangs over trucking markets

Mar 06, 2020 at 08:39 AM CST
Trucking markets are taking the coronavirus in stride — at least by some measures. Even as imports and intermodal volumes plunged in February and into March, contracted truckload volumes are up. On a national basis, contracted truckload volumes (OTVI.USA) surged in the past week and are up more than 5% year-over-year. Capacity has tightened, too: Tender rejections are up slightly to 5.83%, breaking above the 5.5% level where they hovered through February. That’s still too loose to put upward pressure on spot rates, but it does mean that transportation providers are exercising a little more optionality.

Mar 06, 2020 at 08:39 AM CST

Trucking markets are taking the coronavirus in stride — at least by some measures. Even as imports and intermodal volumes plunged in February and into March, contracted truckload volumes are up. On a national basis, contracted truckload volumes (OTVI.USA) surged in the past week and are up more than 5% year-over-year. Capacity has tightened, too: Tender rejections are up slightly to 5.83%, breaking above the 5.5% level where they hovered through February. That’s still too loose to put upward pressure on spot rates, but it does mean that transportation providers are exercising a little more optionality.