Industry Insights: Truck Tonnage, Women in Logistics, and Expedited Shipping

Truck Tonnage is Up1

Compared to this time last year, truck tonnage is up over 2.5%. “Demand for trucking freight services remains strong, but for-hire contract carriers are capacity constrained due to the driver and equipment markets. The spot market has been surging as these carriers can’t haul all of the freight they are asked to move,” said Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist. “So the fact that the tonnage index hasn’t fully recovered is a supply problem, not a lack of demand.”

In fact, demand has been on the rise since the beginning of 2021. According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales are expected to continue to rise in 2022. “NRF expects retail sales to increase in 2022, as consumers are ready to spend and have the resources to do so,” NRF CEO Matthew Shay said. “We should see durable growth this year given consumer confidence to continue this expansion, notwithstanding risks related to inflation, COVID-19 and geopolitical threats.”

Even though the expected growth rate for 2022 is lower than the 14% annual growth rate we saw in 2021, it is stronger than the 10-year, pre-COVID-19 pandemic growth rate of 3.7%.

 

Women in Logistics2

Many women are taking advantage of the opportunity to work in the logistics industry and contribute to a field that is often considered the backbone of American society. However, women’s presence in the industry is still lacking. In fact, men make up about 90% of the driving and warehouse positions and 70-80% of the positions in the 3PL space.

Are we lacking women in logistics? If so, we’ve come a long way, but what else can we do? How can we attract female talent to the industry? The TIA’s Women in Logistics (WIL) committee has a few plans in this regard, including speaking to high school and college-age students to introduce an industry they might not have ever considered.

 

Save Money with Expedited Shipping3

As shipping delays and supply chain issues continue to disrupt the logistics industry, a huge issue businesses are struggling with is shipping and receiving products on time. These disruptions can cause companies to miss deadlines, leading to the loss of valuable customers and vendors.

However, expedited shipping services can help mitigate these issues and save you money in the long run. Westgate has almost 40 years of experience as a freight broker. We can identify the quickest and most cost-effective transportation methods while also helping to prevent financial loss caused by absent or late shipments.

When you partner with Westgate, we save your account information, needs, and special requests in our customer database. That means that every time you ship with us, you’ll spend less time explaining your situation, getting your inventory on the road and on its way even faster.

 

When you have goods that need to be delivered, there’s no time to waste. LEARN MORE today to find out how we can help you with your shipping needs. CONTACT US today to request a quote!
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