We love our carriers, because we know that if it weren’t for our top-quality freight carrier partners, our customers couldn’t ship and receive their freight in a timely and cost-effective way. Our carriers help us help our customers ship smarter. 

Our May Carrier of the Month is Stankovic Transport, Inc. of Brunswick, OH! They have been in business since 2009 with more than 50 owned and operated trucks and trailers.

The PartnerShip Carrier of the Month program recognizes carriers that go above and beyond in helping our customers ship and receive their freight. Our truckload team members nominate carriers that provide outstanding service in communication, reliability, and on-time performance.

For being our May 2018 Carrier of the Month, we’re providing Stankovic Transport lunch for the whole office and a framed certificate to proudly hang on their wall. The gestures may be small but our appreciation is huge!

Interested in becoming a PartnerShip carrier? We match our freight carriers’ needs with our available customer loads because we understand that your success depends on your truck being full. If you’re looking for a backhaul load or shipments to fill daily or weekly runs, let us know where your trucks are and we’ll match you with our shippers’ loads. If your wheels aren’t turning, you’re not earning.

Small Package Shipments
When picking a box for your products, you want one that is in good condition (no holes, rips, or dents) and is sized just right. There should be just enough space for the needed cushioning and no more. If you use a box that is excessively large you run the risk of being charged according to your dimensional (DIM) weight, which can get quite pricey.

How you cushion your contents will depend on the product you’re shipping. In general, you can protect the contents of your package with bubble wrap, foam cushioning, paper pad, or packing peanuts. This will help to prevent damages caused by movement and vibration that occur during transit.

Then it’s time to seal and label your package. Use packing tape rather than duct tape or masking tape, and seal your box using the H taping method. Remove any old labels from the box and place your label on the largest surface. Labeling is an important step for proper packaging, because it helps get your shipment to the right place without any unnecessary delays.

Freight Shipments
When deciding how to package your freight, consider the size and weight of your shipment and how it will be handled. What kind of protection will it need? Will it be on a dedicated truck or will it be moved on multiple vehicles?

Palletizing your freight will give it a solid base and will make movement on and off the truck easy and safe, making it a good choice for many different types of loads. Wooden pallets are the most common, and are typically recommended by carriers like FedEx and UPS Freight. However, you may consider metal, plastic, or corrugated pallets depending on what you’re shipping.

For the cartons on your pallets, make sure the contents inside are packaged properly with the needed impact protection and each carton is labeled with the shipper and consignee information. While stacking, you need to consider how it will affect the strength of your shipment. Start by placing heavier cartons on the bottom with lighter boxes at the top, and distribute the weight evenly. Use an aligned, column pattern while stacking and make sure there is no overhang.

Once your pallet is stacked, you’ll want to secure it with stretch-wrap and banding. The stretch-wrap should go around the cartons several times and be twisted every other rotation for increased durability. For banding, use sturdy steel, rayon, polypropylene, nylon, or polyester straps.

You may also want to consider crating if you’re shipping fragile freight. First, select a crate that is constructed from quality lumber. Most carriers will recommend plywood rather than oriented strand board (OSB), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), or particleboard. You also want to make sure your crate is sized appropriately, with excess space kept to a minimum.

Proper Packaging Is Key
Avoiding damaged freight and a claims nightmare starts with proper packaging. Along the way, you’ll also save yourself from costly DIM weight charges and increase the durability of your shipments. The time you spend up front to make sure you have proper packaging will be well worth it. Get in-depth instructions by downloading our free white paper – The Ultimate Guide to Packaging Your Shipments!

At PartnerShip, we love our carriers. We offer quality service to our customers because of the quality of our freight carrier partners; if it weren’t for them, our customers couldn’t ship and receive their freight in a timely and cost-effective way. Simply put, our carriers help us help our customers ship smarter. 

This month, we celebrate our first-ever Carrier of the Month, Royalton Star Inc. of Parma, OH! They have been in business since 2009 and operate 12 trucks.

The Carrier of the Month program recognizes carriers that go above and beyond in helping our customers ship and receive their freight. PartnerShip truckload team members nominate carriers throughout the month that provide outstanding service in communication, reliability, on-time performance and flexibility to our shippers, receivers and our team.

For being our April 2018 Carrier of the Month, Royalton Star receives lunch for their entire office, a sincere letter of thanks from our team, and a snazzy framed certificate to proudly hang on their wall! The gestures may be small but the appreciation is huge!

Interested in becoming a PartnerShip carrier? We match our freight carriers’ needs with our available customer loads because we understand that your success depends on your truck being full. If you’re looking for a backhaul load or shipments to fill daily or weekly runs, let us know where your trucks are and we’ll match you with our shippers’ loads. If your wheels aren’t turning, you’re not earning.

According to several reports, it appears that the majority of carriers are now using electronic logging devices to track their hours of service, with as many as 95% becoming ELD compliant. While many small carriers originally insisted that they would not comply and figured it was time to make their exit, the capacity crunch and need for experienced drivers has boosted the trucker's market, outweighing the inconvenience of switching over. According to a DAT Solutions survey, over 60% of these carriers have added the compliant devices within the past three months, following the deadline date.

Survey respondents are, however, confessing that the ELD mandate has a huge impact on day-to-day business, with 87% reporting that the mandate is changing the way they prioritize loads. The most significant factor impacting carriers? A significant increase in detention time – basically any time taking over the given 2 hours. Many shippers fail to recognize that time for loading/unloading freight counts as active "on duty" hours for the driver. The strict HOS (Hours of Service) rules can decrease an already limited amount of hours available for transit time.The good news is, with trucker time being more accurately logged, drivers can now prove exactly how long they were held up during loading. Carriers then have leverage to choose precisely who they want to ship with, and determine who may create problems for them on future loads. While this creates a positive environment for truck drivers, it can leave shippers in the backseat. But don't fret, there are several things shippers can do in order to to create appealing loads for carriers, which we will get into a bit later.

The data taken from the ELD devices can actually help shine some light on existing safety issues within a fleet. Predictive modeling can determine safety concerns that may arise in the future, such as probability a truck may be involved in a roadside accident. By looking at historical data, it will be easier to determine potentially dangerous routes, trucking equipment, hours of operation, and operators. So far, utilizing data in order to better determine areas of opportunity for increased driving safety is the most positive application of the new mandatory ELD technology.

So what's to come? As expected, with drivers spending less time at the wheel in one run, transit times will continue to lengthen. This means that drivers have to take less loads per week as well, with 67% stating that they drive fewer miles than they did before the devices. Parking space is in a crunch as well, with more trucks spending mandatory rest breaks at stops. This is also related to yard congestion, or several trucks arriving on time for delivery within a small window. Proper warehousing protocol and smooth receiving and loading procedures is crucial. It may be a good idea for shippers to extend their warehouse hours to offset the congestion. Having properly staged freight ready and waiting with an adequately sized team can also help decrease time spent at the loading dock, freeing up hours available for your driver to be on the road. Another option for shippers is to consider drop trailer freight programs. A carrier will haul a tractor to a shipper's loading dock and pick up a previously loaded and left behind trailer. This can increase efficiency by decreasing detention time and likelihood of deadhead.

One thing is clear: the initial push-back from owner-operators to make changes in order to become ELD compliant has mostly disappeared. Those originally looking to leave the industry are adapting to new policies and procedures, but there is still a significant learning curve. The biggest take-away is the impact of detention time and a newly invigorated intolerance for running into overtime. Drivers are vigilant, and shippers need to be even more prepared for a smooth and quick load time. PartnerShip can help businesses manage LTL freight moves and connect you with vetted, reliable truckload carriers. Stay competitive and ship smarter with PartnerShip – get a quote today!

As a review, several industries and specific groups have extensions and exemptions that are currently in effect, or will be approaching an expiration date. Most carriers will be required to adhere to the mandate, unless qualified by a series of standards set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). If you are not currently required to keep a record of duty status, you do not need to equip your vehicle engine with electronic logging technology. Additionally, if you keep RODS (Record of Duty Status) less than 8 days in a 30 day period, you are exempt as well. If you are a "driveaway/towaway" driver, or your vehicle's engine (not body, cab, or chassis) was made prior to 2000, the new ELD mandate does not apply to you. Rental truck drivers and those covered under the 90- day agricultural extension also are exempt for now. Agriculture and livestock haulers will have to file again, or install approved ELD devices by March 18. If they do not, fines and citations can be issued, but drivers will not be put out-of-service until April 1.

Since the official implementation of the mandate in December, many additional groups have filed for further exemption requests. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has been very transparent in its opposition of the mandate, and has asked for an oversight hearing in order to express its concerns over the mandate and it's implementation. The organization's main issue with the mandate concerns technical issues and malfunctioning, which is an ongoing concern with many of the approved devices. System failures and crashing, issues with GPS tracking and reporting, and mechanical difficulties linking to the truck engine are all cited challenges with the current ELD devices being used. On top of that, the current FMCSA list of approved ELD vendors includes many "self-certified" providers who are NOT actually compliant with requirements. It's a complicated vetting process that leaves many questions and lots of confusion for both truck drivers and law enforcement officials.

Enforcement of the mandate up until this point has been spotty as well, due to the technical issues with the devices and insufficient training of both drivers and enforcement personnel. In fact, 17 states have decided not to enforce at all until April 1, with the remaining states leaving it up to the individual officer's discretion. The FMCSA has given direction to use a specific code, 39522A, in order to report violations in order to track ELD compliance, but to this time, the code has not been showing up in reports. Namely, this is due to the complicated nature of the devices and the wide range of types being used. Put simply, both drivers and enforcement officers are finding it difficult to recognize whether a carrier's chosen ELD is truly compliant. As a result, drivers are required to carry cards indicating proof they are compliant, as well as instructions on how to operate their software, report device errors, and alternative options to record their hours of service.

With less than 3 weeks away to a more strict enforcement period, many carriers and truck drivers have yet to move ahead with becoming ELD compliant. Some are battling training issues or troubleshooting their current ELD technologies. Many small enterprises are simply waiting out the soft enforcement period and then find it easier to leave the industry entirely. Either way, it's safe to say that major changes will be occurring in the next few weeks and that the crunch in capacity will continue to affect shipping rates. PartnerShip can help make sure your shipments are covered at a competitive rate. Ship smarter with PartnerShip, get a quote today!

If you’ve been experiencing sticker shock from unpredictable freight rates lately, you’re not alone. Shippers are seeing a lot of volatility in the truckload and LTL market, with no end in sight.

2017 ended with tightened capacity and record rates. By December, the average van rate was $2.11 per mile (DAT) – an all time high. The load-to-truck ratio was also breaking records at the end of the year, with 9 load postings for every truck posting in December.

Coming off of a record high December, capacity continues to be tight in January – particularly with reefers since they’re needed to keep freight from freezing in the coldest parts of the country. DAT reported that the national load-to-truck ratio at the beginning of the year was the highest ever recorded at 25.2 reefer loads per truck. During which, the reefer rate was at a high $2.71/mile. Van rates have also been breaking records. According to DAT, they were at $2.30/mile on January 6.

So what can shippers expect going forward? Let’s look at the trends. We saw a bit of a recession in 2015 and 2016 with rates and load-to-truck ratios declining, but that appears to be over. Rates climbed throughout 2017 and we can continue to expect increases in 2018.

Overall, the U.S. economy is healthy right now and is growing, increasing freight demand. In contrast, the trucking industry is dealing with the aftermath of the ELD (electronic logging devices) mandate. Not only do they need more drivers and more equipment on the road to handle the same amount of freight, but they are also contending with a long running driver shortage. All of this equals tightened capacity, which is becoming the new normal in the industry.

Recent weather events have been driving up rates as well. Areas of the U.S. that don’t typically experience extreme cold or snow have been hit by treacherous weather that has led to dangerous conditions including low visibility and icy roads. In a tight capacity market, these conditions drive up rates even more.

In February we can expect to see capacity loosen some (barring any winter storms or other troublesome events), as this is typically the slowest time of year for freight. However, you’re likely to see higher rates than you have in years past, because of the long-term trends.

In April, drivers not complying with the ELD mandate will be put out of service. Up until then, inspectors and roadside enforcement personnel are simply documenting and issuing citations if a truck isn’t equipped with the required device. As a result, we may see some ripple effects. There could be fleets that have held out or hoped to fly under the radar until April. There could also be another wave of trucking companies exiting the market, which will leave a void in the already tight market.

Now it’s more important than ever to find ways to mitigate the impact of this tightened capacity. Plan ahead so you can be flexible. Providing more lead time and giving your carrier a longer pickup window rather than a specific time can lessen the strain on its network. Planning ahead can also help you shift to more committed freight and away from the spot market. The spot market is more sensitive to disruptions and subject to reactionary pricing spikes.

Luckily you don’t have to navigate the freight market alone. When you work with PartnerShip, you benefit from our large network of carrier partners and our shipping expertise. We help you ship smarter with competitive rates and reliable service. Get a quote today!

Ringing in the New Year means starting fresh and anticipating big changes for future, and truck drivers may be looking forward to 2018 more than anyone. The ELD mandate, driver shortages, fuel costs, and e-commerce boom are all components that leverage trucking companies' ability to determine cost and coverage.

As we covered in our previous blog post, truckload rates are going up due to a number of different factors. That means that drivers and trucking companies are going to be behind the wheel when it comes to determining how much shipping lanes will be going for. Having this leverage pushes the shipper to the passenger seat, with the potential for less bargaining power and high shipping costs heading into the new year.

A significant factor contributing to the higher truckload rates is due to an overall shortage of willing and capable truck drivers. Trucking analyst John Larkin suggests that the slow but steady economic increase will result in stronger demand with tighter supply. "The primary driver of the supply/demand tightness is the economy-wide shortage of skilled, blue collar labor," he says. "While driver pay scales began to rise in the 2nd half of 2017, the starting point for wages was so low, that it may take multiple wage hikes before we see any alleviation of this chronic challenge." The ELD mandate, which will be fully implemented on Dec 18, 2017, may add increased tension to an already volatile scenario. Many drivers view the mandate as an invasion of privacy, and may push an already limited number of qualified and experienced drivers from the pool of available carriers.

The amount of freight being hauled by trucks is expected to increase more than 3% annually over the next five years, as reported by the American Trucking Association. The industry has already seen a 2.8% increase over the past year, and the ATA estimates it could accelerate as much as 3.4% before slowing down again slightly. A notable increase in shipping economy means that though the available trucker pool has dwindled, those who are qualified are more in demand than ever. In addition, because those drivers may have to travel outside their normal area of operations, they can charge a premium. The ATA also reports that trucking will continue to be the dominant freight mode, and in 2017 "approximately 15.18 billion tons of freight will be moved by all transportation modes." The growing economy will further push demand and stretch the pool of available carriers. The ATA estimates that the current 50,000 driver-deficit could expand to 174,000 by 2026.

With that economic push, and labor shortage, truck drivers will demand higher wages and shippers will have to pay. The third-quarter hurricanes are also said to have played a factor, with drivers understandably asking more for lanes they had run at lower rates previously. Additionally, Florida and Texas, the two states hit the hardest by the storms, are typically some of the most reliable recruiting markets for new drivers. Until the economy recovers in these states, the pool of new drivers will be limited, with many potential recruits choosing the recent wave of construction positions over trucking. A jump in driver pay may keep them interested. According to Bob Costello, the American Trucking Association's economist, observes, "We've already seen fleets raising pay and offering other incentives to attract drivers." The driver pay structure is also evolving. Where once most carriers were being paid by load, many are now moving to an hourly pay model, specifically as the ELD mandate takes effect. Either way, with the anticipated changes for the new year, it's safe to say truck drivers and carriers are going to have a huge influence on shipping rates for the near future.

So, now that truck drivers have extra leverage, what can shippers do to help keep down their shipping costs in 2018? Working with a freight broker like PartnerShip can help add value and flexibility to your current shipping options. We shop rates and put in the legwork for you, negotiating on your behalf with carriers for both your LTL and your Truckload moves. If you have questions on how PartnerShip can help manage your shipping costs, call us at 800-599-2902 or get a free quote today!

Truckload shipping costs have been steadily climbing and are poised to go even higher because a perfect storm of events is pushing truckload rates to record highs: the looming Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate; the cleanup and aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria; and an already significant driver shortage that has stressed truckload capacity.

Let’s look at these factors one by one.

ELDs
An ELD is electronic hardware that connects to a truck’s engine to automatically log a driver’s hours of service (HOS) and fleets and owner-operators have until December 18th, 2017 to implement them. In a previous blog post on ELDs, we anticipated that ELDs would have an effect on pricing and freight rates caused by decreased productivity and reduced capacity.

• Decreased productivity. Carriers that have implemented ELDs have reported average productivity decreases of approximately 15%. ELDs track drive-time so drivers can no longer log 400 miles when they actually drove 700.

• Reduced capacity. Some owner-operators will leave the industry because of their loss of productivity and the associated loss of income, further reducing truckload capacity.

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria
These three hurricanes hit the US within a four-week span and left massive destruction and flooding behind. These hurricanes have had a significant impact on truckload capacity. Recovery efforts required immediate emergency supplies and aid, which shifted truckload capacity to the affected areas, leaving other parts of the country with much less capacity. As recovery and rebuilding continues, truckload capacity will continue to be reduced.

Existing driver shortage
This issue has been building for years. Drivers are leaving the industry as they retire or move on, and younger people are not entering the industry to replace them. The driver shortage causes truckload capacity to tighten, which pushes rates higher and higher. According to Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations, “We may be seeing the beginnings of a significant tightening of the driver market.” At large truckload fleets, driver turnover in the second quarter of 2017 jumped 16 percentage points to 90%; for small fleets, it was up 19 points to 85%.

This combination of factors has led to the tightest truckload spot market in at least four years and freight brokers are working hard to obtain truckload capacity for shippers, but be prepared, rates are going up with no end in sight.

According to Logistics Management, experts expect the current stressed capacity situation to continue well into 2018 partially because of the productivity loss that is expected from the ELD mandate. If you’re a shipper, you should probably prepare your company management to expect higher transportation costs for the next 12 to 18 months.

During the last week of September, the number of available loads on the truckload freight spot market jumped 5.4%, the number of available trucks dropped 3.2%, and tight capacity sent the load-to-truck ratio into uncharted territory, according to DAT Solutions.

DAT said load-to-truck ratios were higher for all equipment types:

• Dry van: 7.0 loads per truck, up 10%
• Flatbed: 50.2 loads per truck, up 16%
• Refrigerated: 12.4 loads per truck, up 2%

DAT said average truckload spot rates continue to remain at two-year highs and demand for truckload capacity in September was up 15% from August, and up 80% from September 2016.

Here’s the takeaway: you will be paying more for truckload freight and it will be harder to cover your loads.

When rates go up and capacity tightens, shippers tend to look for help and reach out to freight brokers and third-party logistics companies to tap into their network of carriers, and take advantage of their expertise in truckload pricing and rate negotiation. The shipping experts at PartnerShip will work with you to cover your loads and secure the best truckload freight rate possible. We know the lanes, we know the rates and we will help you ship smarter. Contact us today to get a free quote on your next truckload freight shipment!

It’s sort of like the “Twilight Zone” of freight: the murky gray area between less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload shipping. Many shippers only use either LTL or full truckload, but sometimes a load is bigger than LTL but not as large as a full truckload. When this happens, you can ship your freight partial truckload or volume LTL.

Do you know the difference between partial truckload and volume LTL shipping? Or when you should use these services? Understanding partial truckload and volume LTL shipping and when to use each will make you a smarter, more competitive shipper.

In the LTL world, these in-between shipments are called volume LTL, and in the truckload world they are called partials (for partial truckload). For many shippers, the choice between services depends on transit time, rate and service level required.

First of all, let’s define the services and explain the difference between partial truckload and volume LTL shipping.

Partial truckload
Shipments that are larger than LTL but less than a full truck trailer are considered partial truckload. Partial truckload shipments usually range from 8 to 18 pallets, 8,000 to 27,500 pounds, and occupy more than 12 feet of linear space in a trailer.

Volume LTL
Large shipments that do not require a full truck trailer and that are typically 6 or more pallets, weigh over 5,000 pounds, or occupy more than 12 linear feet in a trailer can be considered volume LTL.

Clear as mud, right? The reality is that in many cases partial truckload and volume LTL freight is the exact same thing, but the differences are in its pricing, classing, transit time and handling.

The main differences between partial truckload and volume LTL shipments:

• Partial truckload shipments do not require a freight class; volume LTL shipments do
• Partial truckload rates are established by the market and are determined by mileage, specific lane, weight and space required; volume LTL quotes are obtained from an LTL carrier and are based on a carrier’s published LTL rates
• Partial truckload carriers usually do not stop at hubs or terminals, leading to a higher percentage of on-time deliveries, less handling of freight and less damage
• Partial truckload carriers typically offer freight insurance, which is often greater than the freight liability LTL carriers offer
• Volume freight must be crated or on pallets in order to move through an LTL carrier’s system; truckload freight does have the same requirement

To illustrate the potential difference between partial truckload and volume LTL pricing, we priced out a sample shipment.

The freight:

• 8 pallets, 48”x40”x96”
• 12,530 lbs.
• Non-hazardous, non-flammable petroleum oil in plastic bottles (Class 65)
• Ship from: Macedonia, OH 44056
• Ship to: Laredo, TX 78040

Volume LTL cost - $1,593.00

Partial truckload cost - $1,195.00

LTL networks are generally optimized for shipments less than 12 linear feet and one to six pallets, and because this shipment example falls outside of those parameters, the volume freight cost is higher than the partial truckload cost.

Some helpful partial truckload shipping tips:

• Shippers must be more flexible on the pickup and/or delivery dates than for LTL shipments
• Loads traveling less than 250 miles are usually not good candidates for partials
• Floor-loaded or loose items are not ideal for partials
• Partial truckload shipping rates are contingent on available capacity, lanes and distance
• If pickup or delivery appointments are required, there is a high probability that appointments will be missed and layover fees may apply due to the variables involved with partials

Partial truckload services aren’t offered by every carrier but a freight broker like PartnerShip can help you find partial truckload or volume LTL capacity. We work with a large network of LTL and truckload freight carriers and will find you the best rate and service level for your needs. Contact our shipping experts at 800-599-2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com whenever you need to ship smarter.

Get a free quote on your next LTL freight shipment or truckload freight shipment!