Lack of capacity keeping lid on truck tonnage: ATA
U.S. for-hire truck tonnage slid 1.2% in July, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
This comes on the heels of a 2% pullback in June.
“Softness in tonnage over the last few months is due more to supply constraints, rather than a big drop in freight volumes,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. “Not only are there broader supply chain issues, like semiconductors, holding tonnage back, but there are also industry specific difficulties, including the driver shortage and lack of equipment. For-hire truckload carriers are operating fewer trucks than a year earlier. It is difficult to haul significantly more freight with fewer trucks and drivers.”
“In addition to these supply issues, retail sales and housing starts, both large drivers of truck freight, retreated in July, although both rose on a year-over-year basis” he said. Truck tonnage was down 2.9% year-over-year, marking the first y-o-y drop since March. Year-to-date, tonnage is down 0.2% compared to the first seven months of 2020.
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The problem is lack of insurance and high cost for owner ops with own authority and new drivers in Ontario Canada. Also E logs have made many people get trench foot like myself in my opinion. U till we fix the insurance and parking problem and minimum treatment of drivers new drivers from Canada or other countries will leave as soon as they have their P R This shortage would not have happened if 18 months ago different actions had been done in my opinion.