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 […]
Why automated truckload freight quotes are more accurate
When it comes to establishing truckload freight quotes for customers, it is essential to use automation to get the most accurate results and offer the most competitive freight rates. Transportation networks rely on timely rate estimates that are competitive while also being profitable. Creating quotes the old-fashioned way opens supply chains to several problems that […]
SONAR now has spot to contract rate spread
SONAR now contains a spot to contract rate spread index (RATES) to help users understand the short- and long-term relationships between transactional and long-term truckload pricing trends.
Trucking spot rates: Tips for freight brokers to price spot market lanes
Trucking is one of the most volatile markets in the economy. The spot market rate for trucking freight from point A to B changes daily on all lanes. For lanes with low load volumes, trucking spot freight rates can change significantly from day to day and week to week. This creates a challenge for freight […]
How to make more accurate trucking spot rate predictions
One of the most important tasks for freight forecasters is forecasting transportation rates, which are localized. That means that rates in Los Angeles are different from rates in Chicago or Dallas or any market large or small. The two primary types of transportation rates are contract rates and spot rates, which exist in each market. […]
Why spot market data provides an incomplete view of the freight market
Spot market data is often referenced as a key indicator of activity in the trucking market. But the spot market data provides an incomplete and lagging view of market activity.
How are spot rates calculated?
Transportation rate analysis is a core part of any seasoned freight forecaster’s role. While the trucking contract market represents 85% of the freight volume in the for-hire truckload industry and the trucking spot market represents just 15% of truckload demand, the most volatile rates in the truckload industry can be found in the spot market. […]
Top things a trucking company can do to maximize trucking rates
Regardless of whether a trucking is primarily a dry van truckload carrier, reefer, or flatbed, all carriers have one thing in common – a desire to maximize trucking rates.
Why historical spot rates alone are not the best predictor of future spot rates
History tends to repeat itself, or does it? A common thought in the trucking industry is that looking at historical spot rates are good indicators of what to expect each year. It is true to an extent that historical trends do well to predict certain aspects of future spot rates, such as seasonal movement, but […]
