Over the last few years, we’ve all been waiting for the freight market to come back. Most of us expected a slow climb back to normal rates. That’s not what’s happening. What we’re seeing right now is a market that’s tightening quickly. Trucks are getting harder to find, rates are moving up fast, and the pace of change has caught a lot of people off guard.

A few things are driving it.

The first is capacity.

Recent CDL enforcement and regulatory changes have already taken a significant number of drivers out of the market, and many expect that trend to continue. Trucking is one of the purest supply-and-demand businesses out there. When thousands of drivers leave the market, capacity gets tighter and rates respond. Fuel isn’t helping either.

Rising fuel costs are adding pressure throughout transportation. Carriers feel it first, but those costs eventually work their entire supply chain. If you’re a spot market shipper, you’re probably feeling all of this already.

We’ve seen rates move dramatically in a short amount of time. Finding capacity isn’t as easy as it was a few months ago, and when trucks become harder to secure, service across the market gets stretched.

I’m sharing this because I’d rather you hear it from me than be surprised by it later. We’ve been through enough freight cycles to know that markets change. They always do. The companies that navigate them best are usually the ones that understand what’s happening early and adjust before everyone else does.

Right now, we’re spending a lot of time talking with carriers, protecting capacity where we can, and helping customers understand what’s changing before it shows up as a higher rate or a tougher conversation.

That’s our job.

If you have questions about your freight, your budget, or what we expect over the next several weeks, reach out. We’re happy to share what we’re seeing and help you make a plan.

Until next time,

Liz Wayne
Founder
lwayne@abletransportsolutions.com