The Waterfall Theory of Freight

The waterfall theory of freight explains the factors behind how rates can fall out of contract and into the spot market. Learn how access to the best supply chain data on the market can help you manage costs at sonar.freightwaves.com.

Tai Software, FreightWaves SONAR team up to shape future of logistics industry

The logistics industry is overflowing with ambitious companies pursuing innovative ideas. A much smaller number of players, however, have what it takes to shape the way the industry operates on a grand scale.  FreightWaves has accomplished that through SONAR, and the company is committed to partnering with other industry standouts working toward similar goals — […]

What does the next freight cycle look like?

The rest of the year could be characterized by relatively low rates and volatility Like it or not, freight market volatility is here to stay. The post-recession environment that filled our expectations with the concept of “normal” is in the distant past. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic era, the U.S. transportation sector was experiencing an […]

Making strategic investments in digital supply chain in a downcycle

At its annual Investment Community Meeting in April in Tampa, Florida, Walmart’s management team took the opportunity to lay out an ambitious transformation of its supply chain. Walmart U.S. CEO and President John Furner explained how the retailer was digitally combining its ambient, perishable and e-commerce supply chains, which were built separately and in parallel […]

How supply chain leaders can be the CFO’s hero

Cut costs, then help finance set new budgets Freight rates in all modes have come down hard since last year, and if you’re a transportation manager or supply chain leader, you probably feel confident about hitting your budget this year. You might be tempted to take the downcycle off, put strategic initiatives on the backburner […]

Predicting the next turn in the freight cycle

Freight markets feel stuck in unseasonable doldrums with volumes low, capacity loose and rates in a trough after supply chain activity cooled post-COVID. But as we know, the relationship of supply and demand is not static, but dynamic and ever-shifting. A pendulum moves slowest and briefly pauses just before it starts falling in the other […]

How long does it take the freight market to flip?

Not long at all. During the last freight cycle, there was a 56-day period when truckload spot rates increased by 25.6% and a 59-day period when rates fell by 15.1%. Right now, transportation rates are unseasonably low and capacity is plentiful across most modes of traffic, from North America truckload to trans-Pacific ocean container shipping. […]

Winter Weather Causes Problems/Freight Rates Rise (w/ video)

#WithSONAR

Heavy snow and icy conditions across large parts of the United States over the past two weeks have caused problems in many freight markets. And while the nasty winter weather has slowed and even stopped some trucks, freight rates have continued to rise. Back-to-back winter storms are stalling supply chains. The second winter storm of […]

Using Freight Data to Build Relationships (w/ video)

#WithSONAR

On this episode of #WithSONAR, current SONAR subscriber Greg Morrow, the Director of Operations for ARL Logistics, discusses the importance of using data to grow and strengthen carrier and customer relationships with co-hosts Kyle Taylor and Luke Falasca.  ARL Logistics is part of the ARL Network, which also includes ARL Transport, Veterans Logistics and MIA Safety. ARL […]

What is freight market intelligence and what can it do for brokers, shippers, carriers & 3PLs

Modern supply chains are data-generating enterprises. And today’s companies have an opportunity to apply freight market intelligence tools and resources to shift the competitive advantage in their favor, overcome obstacles that arise due to industrial growth, and realize benefits regardless of their position within the market. “Knowledge is knowing what the most recent rate was […]

6 Tips in Selecting a Market Freight Rate Data Tool

6 Tips in Selecting a Market Freight Rate Tool

The world of freight management continues to evolve, but the systems that help individual companies prioritize needs and keep freight spend under control may quickly become outdated. At the same time, the traditional belief in a spot versus contract market is starting to fall as the industry realizes that the market rate – based on […]

How to use SONAR to monitor freight markets

Monitor Freight Volumes

Freight volumes SONAR’s outbound tender volume index (OTVI) measures electronically tendered truckload volumes across the U.S. Overall OTVI is indexed to 10,000 (March 1, 2018) and is the aggregated volume in 135 U.S. freight markets. OTVI is the most accurate near-time view of the full truckload markets. Freight forecasters use the OTVI index to monitor […]

How do tender reject rates predict the freight economy?

Truck at dock

Tender rejections occur when a contracted carrier rejects an electronic load request from a shipper customer. FreightWaves SONAR measures the former via the outbound tender reject index (OTRI).  Carriers really only have two reasons for rejecting a contracted load. One, they do not have available capacity to service the request. Or, two, there are more […]

FreightWaves SONAR adds Lane Signal app

Lane Signal

FreightWaves SONAR now provides analytics down to the lane level. SONAR subscribers can see and use data on a freight lane at the granular level. FreightWaves launched SONAR two years ago – the first platform to provide real-time market data based on tendered transactions. Tenders are electronically transmitted load requests from shippers to carriers. For […]

White Papers
March 27, 2024

The State of Freight – March 2024

March 21, 2024

Take Demand Planning and Forecasting to the Next Level: An Introduction to Tender Data

February 6, 2024

Asleep at the Wheel: Shippers and the Freight Market Outlook for 2024