DAT Solutions

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

You've jumped through all the hurdles and got your own trucking authority – now you need to find customers.

Video 112

Video Freight Benchmarking 112

DAT Solutions

FEBRUARY 2, 2021

The freight market in the past year has been marked by exceptionally tight capacity caused by imbalanced carrier networks, which pushed an historically high number of shipments over to the spot market. That placed a great deal of pressure on contract rates, but there are signs that the pressure is releasing.

Data 138

Data Capacity Freight Trends 138

DAT Solutions

JANUARY 27, 2021

Supply chains faced unprecedented disruptions in 2020, but the pandemic provided fresh perspectives for 2021. Members of the Freight Market Intelligence Consortium (FMIC), a group of leading shippers who use DAT iQ for benchmarking, identified two key strategic trends. .

Supply Chain Strategy 91

Supply Chain Strategy Benchmarking Strategy Price Mitigation Strategies 91

DAT Solutions

JANUARY 15, 2021

Hear from truck drivers about the tips and tricks they use to stay healthy while out on the road.

Video 101

Video 101

DAT Solutions

JANUARY 12, 2021

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in December, with the overall economy notching an eighth consecutive month of growth, says the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report. .

Supply and Demand 92

Supply and Demand Manufacturing Report 92

DAT Solutions

JANUARY 12, 2021

Even in the midst of winter when produce loading opportunities in most areas are on the decline, ports like Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE, are flush with imports.

Philadelphia 130

Philadelphia Supply and Demand 130

DAT Solutions

JANUARY 12, 2021

While new home construction and low mortgage rates fueled a lot of flatbed demand in 2020, spending on private nonresidential construction in November was 9.5% below 2019 levels, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. .

Supply and Demand 162

Supply and Demand 162

DAT Solutions

JANUARY 12, 2021

We expect 2021 to be very different to 2020. The pandemic resulted in a crash in demand, followed by a capacity crunch, which will make year-over-year comparisons difficult. We don’t have any non-pandemic years in recent enough history to make meaningful comparisons.

Comparison 142

Comparison Capacity Supply and Demand 142

DAT Solutions

JANUARY 11, 2021

The complications COVID-19 created for supply chains could be felt across all aspects of life in 2020, whether you were in the freight industry or shopping for groceries in a store with bare shelves. The public at large became much more aware of the types of problems that trucking and logistics professionals have been solving for decades.

Freight 153

Freight Industrial Industry Supply Chain 153

DAT Solutions

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Demand in the manufacturing sector continues to improve, which is good news, especially for Flatbed carriers.

Supply and Demand 181

Supply and Demand Meeting Manufacturing 181

DAT Solutions

DECEMBER 23, 2020

The deeper we get into winter, the further south shippers go to meet U.S. demand for winter produce, which is why, at this time of the year, we start to see an increase in volume across the southern border from Mexico. .

Mexico 181

Mexico Meeting Supply and Demand 181

DAT Solutions

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Industrial production has been steadily improving after dropping 16.5% in March. It's now around 5% below its pre-pandemic (February) reading, but still down 5.5% year over year.

Industrial 136

Industrial Industry 136

DAT Solutions

DECEMBER 23, 2020

One of the themes of the pandemic-driven freight market has been tight capacity, which has driven up spot rates to record levels and put upward pressure on contract rates at the same time.

Capacity 165

Capacity Freight 165

DAT Solutions

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

As we move into the fall, the truckload market is still seeing record-high spot rates. Total volumes were only up 1.6% in September compared to September 2019, but network imbalances continue to push shipments into the spot market and place pressure on pricing.

Trends 91

Trends Industrial Industry 91

DAT Solutions

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

In November, DAT iQ launched three-day average rates our truckload pricing platform, RateView, setting a new industry standard in truckload pricing.

Industrial 139

Industrial Industry 139

DAT Solutions

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Last week we reported on several reliable and unbiased industry volume indices (ATA Truckload Tonnage, Cass Freight Index and MSU Surface Transportation Index), which all indicated overall truckload freight volumes are still down year-over-year. This week we take a look at two more freight volume indices.

Freight 178

Freight Industrial Industry Report 178

DAT Solutions

OCTOBER 27, 2020

The trucking industry is the backbone of the American economy. Without trucking, goods and supplies cannot get into stores or onto shelves for people to consume, it’s essential to everyday life.

Industrial 172

Industrial Industry Supply and Demand 172

DAT Solutions

OCTOBER 7, 2020

Historically, increased spot market activity signaled higher overall truckload demand and tighter capacity. This year we’re seeing something of a paradox, with total freight volumes very uneven at the market, commodity and lane levels.

Freight 202

Freight Supply and Demand Capacity 202

DAT Solutions

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

In a lot of ways, the current imbalances in freight networks reflect the divided purchasing habits of two very different groups of consumers. .

Freight 130

Freight Groups 130

DAT Solutions

AUGUST 20, 2020

With freight markets already upended by COVID-19, supply chains are in a precarious position heading into hurricane season. Further complicating matters: This season is expected to be an especially active one.

Freight 163

Freight Supply Chain Supply and Demand 163

DAT Solutions

AUGUST 20, 2020

This season is proving to be very different, with COVID-19 adding another layer of complexity to supply chains. And since many markets are already behaving like they do when hurricanes hit, shippers, brokers and carriers will need to communicate even more than usual. .

Freight 185

Freight Supply Chain Supply and Demand Benchmarking 185

DAT Solutions

JULY 29, 2020

The coronavirus continues to drive the direction of the freight economy, with varied results across different regions that have caused disruptions to carrier networks.

Trends 152

Trends Freight 152

DAT Solutions

JULY 22, 2020

Several key factors cloud the current freight outlook: The possible end of the extended unemployment insurance program next week, COVID-19 outbreaks in many states, uncertainty in consumer demand and rising retail warehouse inventories. The latter is one to watch if the economic recovery slows.

Inventory 164

Inventory Warehousing Freight Retail 164

DAT Solutions

JULY 8, 2020

June provided some much-needed recovery for truckload markets, but as COVID-19 outbreaks grow exponentially in major freight markets, including California, Texas, Arizona and Florida, the potential for volatility cannot be underestimated.

Arizona 131

Arizona Florida Texas California 131

DAT Solutions

JULY 1, 2020

Last week saw a huge surge in demand and prices on the spot market, as shippers closed the books on Q2 and moved freight into place ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. But as we hit the halfway mark for the year, the trucking industry sits at a crossroads.

Freight 91

Freight Supply and Demand Industrial Industry 91

DAT Solutions

JUNE 23, 2020

Spot market demand for dry van truckload shipments picked up steam again last week, with retail freight leading to tighter capacity and higher rates as we head into the Fourth of July.

Retail 192

Retail Capacity Freight Supply and Demand 192

DAT Solutions

MAY 27, 2020

In the latest "Ask Me Anything" video, hear from real drivers on what they do to stay healthy while they're on the road.

Video 114

Video How To Trends Industrial 114

DAT Solutions

MAY 27, 2020

As more and more businesses across the country reopen, truckload freight markets are also trying to find their footing.

Freight 151

Freight Trends 151

DAT Solutions

MAY 11, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has created an extremely difficult business environment for trucking companies this spring. But after weeks and weeks of declines, freight markets finally appear to have turned a corner.

Freight 183

Freight Company Trends 183

DAT Solutions

MAY 5, 2020

Predictive modeling is the art of using high-power computing to learn from the past and predict the future. Most of us use predictive models in our daily lives, but is not always obvious. .

Forecasting 122

Forecasting Freight Benchmarking 122

DAT Solutions

APRIL 22, 2020

Truckload rates fell lower again last week for dry van equipment, and there's no sign of a rebound coming any time soon.

Trends 168

Trends 168

DAT Solutions

APRIL 21, 2020

Recent news has been all about the downturn in freight volumes, and the lower rates that accompany smaller volumes. Whenever freight markets go soft, we analysts like to look at changes that can help pull us out of the current pattern. In the midst of much gloom about the freight marketplace, we look for some positives that can help us through the next couple of months.

Freight 155

Freight Trends Industrial Industry 155

DAT Solutions

APRIL 21, 2020

There's a beta version of the DAT Directory that organizes the data in order of importance so you can find what you need at a glance — and we want to know what you think if it.

Data 96

Data 96

DAT Solutions

APRIL 15, 2020

Reefer carriers are starting to feel the pain of coronavirus-related closures, as volume and rates declined sharply for reefer equipment in the past two weeks. Restaurants and cafeterias are closed nationwide, which eliminates a big segment of refrigerated shippers and their freight, even as grocery stores continue to replenish inventories at an accelerated pace.

Freight 167

Freight Inventory Reduction Food Inventory 167

DAT Solutions

APRIL 6, 2020

Van rates fell last week, on the heels of a decline in load-to-truck ratios. There's not as much spot freight available, as retail demand is not as urgent now, most consumers are staying home, and many other businesses are closed.

Freight 158

Freight Retail Supply and Demand Trends 158

DAT Solutions

APRIL 3, 2020

Truck drivers who find themselves going too fast on a mountain road will be looking for the emergency off-ramp. Those ramps slope upward, making it easier to slow down and regain control of the truck. The driver faces another danger at the off-ramp, however. State authorities may issue fines for using those ramps, which could damage the driver's safety record, and possibly shortening his or her career.

91

91

DAT Solutions

MARCH 30, 2020

COVID-19 has become one of the most disruptive events to hit supply chains in our lifetime, and the DAT Analytics team is publishing regular reports to track its impact on freight markets.

Freight 162

Freight Capacity Analytics Report 162