Tag Archive for: intermodal cargo in the Midwest

American Transportation Research Institute Releases New Report

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During the recession of 2008-2011, costs rose for the trucking industry. Transportation costs and fuel costs were higher, leading to a gradual increase in the costs of operating an intermodal trucking company like Calhoun Truck Lines.

Fortunately, a new report shows that the costs has eased somewhat in 2012. Overall average costs to operate a truck fell 4 percent in 2012, down from a 10 percent increase from 2010 to 2011. The report, titled “An Analysis of the Operation Costs of Trucking 2013 Update” showed that while the average costs of operation for a truck fell slightly, increasing fuel prices and more pressure to raise truckers’ pay is contributing to a higher level of costs for the trucking industry.

Costs per mile fell to $1.62/mile from 2011’s $1.71/mile. The study showed that costs for those LTL (less than truckload) carriers dropped to nearly $180/mile, from 2011’s $1.93/mile.

While the lower average costs would initially indicate a forward progress for trucking, these are being offset with high costs of operation for other areas. Higher fuel costs, increased tire costs, and costs of traveling through tolls are still higher.

ATRIFor most carriers, the majority of costs still come from fuel costs and driver wages. All of this comes at a time when many trucking companies are looking at the cost-savings benefits to switch to natural gas, writes the Dallas Business News. The industry is always seeking qualified drivers, and Calhoun Truck Lines is no exception. High fuel prices, more freight needs, tighter regulations on the trucking industry, and an older workforce adds up to higher costs across the board for truckers.

The American Transportation Research Institute manages this study on an annual  basis, contributing essential economic research to encourage trucking firms to manage their trucking fleets and fuel costs accordingly.

 

Setback for Truckers? FMCSA Denies ATA Request for Extra 3-Months’ Time

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Has there been another setback to Calhoun Truck Lines and the rest of the still economically challenged U.S. trucking industry? Only time will tell. Interstate shipping firms learned recently that their request for an extra three months’ time before a new trucking hours-of-service rules take effect was rejected by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Apparently, the FMCSA does not believe ATA has demonstrated good reason to delay compliance, and that the FMCSA is not willing “to sacrifice what may be several months of public safety benefits from the timely implementation of the rule.”   interstate shipping Calhoun Truck Lines

The American Trucking Association had asked the FMCSA a month ago to delay the start of updated hours-of-service regulations. But like the US Senate and House Republicans, it seems like trucking’s main bodies have a hard time agreeing as well.

Trucking Info wrote: “In response to a late January letter from ATA president Bill Graves, FMCSA Chief Counsel T.F. Scott Darling III on Feb. 22 denied a request to delay compliance with the new rules from a scheduled July 1 start date until three months after a federal court issues its decision on challenges to hours of service that ATA and other groups have filed.“

The Hours of Service of Drivers Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2011. The Final Rule’s effective date is February 27, 2012, and the compliance date of selected provisions is July 1, 2013. More info is at the FMCSA Hours-of-Service page.

The final rule, according to the FMCSA, required truck drivers who maximized their weekly work hours to take at least two nights’ rest when their 24-hour body clock demands sleep the most – from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. This rest requirement is part of the rule’s “34-hour restart” provision that allows drivers to restart the clock on their work week by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty. The final rule allows drivers to use the restart provision only once during a seven-day period.

“I’m not sure how this ruling will affect capacity over the next twelve months,” said Brent Bois, President of Calhoun Truck Lines, a leading Midwestern intermodal trucking company. “It seems as if our government may take care of that problem with the unresolved “sequester” deadline just days away. However, our elected official’s inability to resolve these issues will have a negative impact on our economy for the remainder of 2013 and will mitigate any truck capacity issues this year.”

“The real issue resides with training drivers and enforcement agencies,” continued Bois. “The likelihood of inconsistent enforcement and unwarranted violations will increase and have a negative affect on the trucking community. This will not help add drivers to the industry and could have a much larger impact on capacity in the long run.”

Calhoun Truck Lines Seeking Drivers for 2013

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There has been a resurgence in employee hiring across many industries in the past several months, and as a result, Calhoun Truck Lines has been busier than ever. And as the economy picks up, so too does our business. It’s been seen across the trucking industry as a whole as well.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that that trucking firms added 4,200 jobs in December 2012. And as we move more intermodal shipments and cargo across the Midwest, we are convinced that the U.S. economy will continue to move ahead, slowly but forcefully.

This growth in trucking jobs leads to more of a need for drivers in our business. We believe that there are great opportunities ahead for drivers who are committed to safe driving records and a strong work ethic. Calhoun Truck Lines is committed to seeking out and hiring the best drivers, and we are planning to compensate these drivers appropriately.

truck driving jobs Calhoun Truck LinesAs one of the Midwest’s leading trucking firms, we know the importance of a good driver safety program. Drivers who place safety ahead of all else are the types of drivers we want. These kinds of drivers can help us grow our business in the Midwest, and help themselves grow earning potential.   

Our trucking firms views our driver fleet as business partners in our enterprise. We commit to accurate settlements and competitive rates. Our drivers deal with experienced and competent dispatch operators, and are generally home at night. Plus we offer a lease purchase program for the trucks in our fleet.   

You can download a pre-qualifying application to be a trucking specialist with our firm. At Calhoun Truck Lines, we take the safety of our truckers and the cargo very seriously. We work with all our drivers in the Federal Motor Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) BASIC program. It’s a program designed to provide a threshold of safety for intermodal trucking companies and their drivers. It is Calhoun’s goal to go above and beyond the minimum threshold of safety and reduce driver violations.

By moving ahead in 2013, truckers and drivers across the US can help get our country back up to its optimal economic speed.

Small Increases in US Economy Makes for Good Laborers

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As the economy goes, so goes the workers. That may not be the right phrasing, but it sure makes a heck of a lot of sense for trucking companies like Calhoun Truck Lines.   Calhoun Truck Lines

You see, in the intermodal trucking business, without cargo traffic to haul and deliver from point A to Point B and points in between, our workers are idle. And we’d rather have our trucking employees out on the roads working cargo loads and distributing goods across the Midwest than being without cargo loads.

So it’s good news that the Federal Reserve is seeing some of the same things our drivers and our analysts are seeing across the region. That is, there’s been a spike in intermodal trucking services this past summer due to upswings in other key industries like auto sales and more.  

The Federal Reserve announced that the U.S. economy expanded somewhat in July and August, with an accompanied steady to moderate growth in trucking and logistics services.  This news comes from the Fed’s ‘beige book’ on U.S. economic conditions. Most of the Fed’s 12 districts reported higher retail activity, including automobile sales, an important factor in they way we measure our business output.  

This is encouraging news. Our independent trucking company relies on growth indicators from the economy as signs to grow our driver numbers, increase management tasks, and seek out additional cargo loads. Since the U.S. logistics system is made up of different industry segments and businesses working in intermodal transportation, it’s important that these companies help move the nation’s standard shipping containers and trailers to aid in our economic recovery.  

Intermodal trucking and rail firms, ocean carriers, port authorities, logistics companies, and suppliers are all on the front lines of our economy. Let’s remember to remember all the workers who are out in the nation’s thicket, trying to get this country moving again.  

The start of a recovery is a great position to be in. As an independent trucking firm delivering intermodal cargo in the Midwest, we will make this blog a place where you can learn what’s happening from our drivers, our customers, and our management in the months ahead.

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