We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » Truck tonnage down, driver turnover up, ATA says
newsworthy

Truck tonnage down, driver turnover up, ATA says

December 26, 2019
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

U.S. truckers hauled less freight November and trucking companies saw higher driver turnover in the third quarter, according to separate reports from the American Trucking Associations (ATA), released this month.

Truck tonnage fell 3.5% sequentially in November and was down 2.1% compared to the year-ago period, according to ATA's monthly advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, released December 23. The year-over-year decline was the first in more than two years and the largest drop since February 2017.

The index is up 3.3% year-to-date, the Arlington, Va.-based trade association also said.

"It's tough to sugar coat November's reading," ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said in a statement announcing the figures. "It was the third decrease in the last four months, and the index is down 7.2% since July. Additionally, November was the first month to see a year-over-year drop in the index since April 2017. While disappointing, it fits with the expected soft gross domestic product reading expected in the fourth quarter and reports of a soft fall freight season." 

ATA's monthly tonnage index is based on member surveys, and the data is dominated by contract freight; the advance report contains preliminary figures and is subject to change in the final report, issued around the fifth day of each month. 

Separately, ATA reported an increase in driver turnover at both large and small fleets in the third quarter, despite softer demand for freight. The turnover rate at large truckload fleets—those with more than $30 million in annual revenue—jumped nine points to an annualized rate of 96%, the largest quarterly increase since the second quarter of 2016 and the index's highest reading since the second quarter of 2018, the association said. The churn rate at smaller carriers also rose, ticking up six points to 73%.

"Counterintuitively, we saw turnover rise even as the freight demand was relatively soft," Costello said. "While turnover rose at both small and large carriers, the reasons were quite different. Large carriers reduced the number of drivers they employed, in keeping with lackluster freight levels, but smaller carriers added to their driver pools, increasing their number of drivers by 1.9%."

He also said: "During the first two quarters of the year, larger carriers added drivers, but in the third quarter they started right-sizing their fleets. Conversely, smaller companies increased their driver pool in the third quarter for the first time this year."

Turnover at less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers dropped four points to an annualized rate of 9%, its lowest level since the final quarter of 2017, according to ATA.

Transportation Trucking Publications & Associations
KEYWORDS American Trucking Associations
  • Related Articles

    Truck driver turnover held steady in fourth quarter, ATA says

    Truckload driver turnover slows to lowest level in five years, ATA says

    Truckload driver turnover continued to slow in third quarter, ATA says

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

Air cargo demand slumped in 2022 after “extraordinary” levels in 2021

Logistics gives back: February 2023

Intermodal sector weathered a “challenging” year in 2022, IANA says

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Schneider welcomes first battery-electric truck

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • RJW LOGISTICS GROUP EXPANDS RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATION TO DALLAS

  • Maersk deploys indoor drones for warehouse inventory counts

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

C8c3bc6b a91d 4181 a18f 35f288257630

ACPaQ: Fast and reliable automated mixed case palletizer

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
Fully Automated Mixed Case Palletizing ACPaQ is a universally applicable solution for fully automated order picking of mixed case pallets based on customers‘ requirements. Its software allows you to customize the palletizing order to increase efficiency during in-store replenishment. The mixed case palletizer...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing