While freight volumes have ticked up July and August, indicators that a recession is still gripping America's $800 billion trucking market. The federal government's monthly job report said on October 4 that trucking companies slashed 4200 payrolls. Manufacturing, which tracks the trucking industry, cut 4,000 jobs.
The job report was otherwise mixed, and transportation as a whole added 15,700 jobs.
The September report also clarified that 5,100 trucking payrolls were slashed in August, up from 4500 previously reported from preliminary numbers.
In the first half of 2019, around 640 trucking companies went bankrupt, according to industry ata from Broughton Capital LLC. That's more than triple the amount of bankruptcies from the same period last year — 175.
The recession in trucking has especially affected small carriers, who operate largely on the spot market. Trucking loads can either be picked up on demand through the spot market, or through a pre-arranged contract. The contract market comprises the vast majority of the trucking market, according to the American Trucking Associations.
Spot market rates have crashed in 2019, while contract market rates haven't seen the same dip.
According to the most recent Chainanalytics-Cowen Freight Indices report, dry van spot rates are down 16.1% from the same period in 2018. Contract rates in dry van are down 8.1%.
Still, major companies along with small business owners like Stayner are getting hit by the trucking downturn. Are all this indicators Trukcing is facing a recession? What do yo think leave your comments below.
Comments