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

Electronic tender data is the fastest, most accurate way to measure volume and demand in the freight market. Tender volumes and rejections typically move before prices, making tender data a leading indicator of where the freight market is headed and a critical factor in how leading companies plan their transportation movements and spend. This white […]

Catering to the winners – SONAR subscribers beat the market

In this report, we revisit an October 2021 report that highlighted how the shares of publicly traded SONAR subscribers outperformed their peer groups. We did not suggest in that report that subscribing to SONAR was driving that outperformance, and we do not suggest anything similar here. In fact, we consider the opposite to be more […]

Navigating the Yellow Corp. Crisis: Implications and Strategies for LTL Shippers

At the time of writing, Yellow has announced that it would defer its required contributions — including those for pensions — for June and July, collectively totaling more than $50 million in missed payments. In response, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued a strike notice that could lead to work stoppages as soon as Monday. […]

The rise and fall of lead times

During the pandemic years of 2020-21, retailers were subjected to unprecedented volatility in transportation markets. After a spike in e-commerce activity, imports flooded the U.S. and led to persistent, widespread congestion at ports as containers took weeks to clear their terminals. This maritime congestion played havoc with rail networks, which were similarly inundated with shipment […]

What demand planning looks like with 2020s supply chain data

In today’s fast-paced and increasingly digital world, shippers are facing new challenges and opportunities. The ability to accurately predict demand is more critical than ever, directly impacting operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness and customer satisfaction. Demand planning, a key process in supply chain management, involves forecasting the demand for products to ensure they can be delivered in […]

The price you pay: dissecting cost in your routing guide

The waterfall theory of freight highlights the impacts that routing guides have on the relationship between shippers and carriers. In a soft freight environment, much like the current environment, routing guides remain largely intact as carriers accept nearly all of the freight, thus rates remain depressed, freight moves in a more predictable pattern and hitting […]

Prolonged down cycle, is timing the up cycle possible?

In a highly cyclical industry like over-the-road freight transportation, market conditions can shift at a moment’s notice and shippers often don’t have the data to react to changing conditions in real time. While the freight market shows no signs of bottoming in the short term, FreightWaves SONAR provides market participants the ability to identify real-time […]

Rocky road on the way in 2023?

The cyclicality in the freight market has never been more evident than during the past three years. In 2020 and ’21, transportation companies experienced unprecedented freight demand and remarkably tight capacity, leading to an inflationary rate environment over 18 months. The freight demand was driven by stimulus-aided goods spending as the services side of the […]

SONAR Highlight Reel: What’s Going On In Shanghai

This “SONAR highlight reel” hits data highlights/trends in truckload, intermodal and maritime in 2-3 pages for each mode.  The truckload market (pages 2-6) continues to show signs of easing ahead of the “busy” summer months. The FreightWaves National Truckload Index (NTI) brings a new daily spot rate to the freight market that is backed by […]

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