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First quarter profits were down 34.3% from the previous quarter for the 31 carriers that have now reported financial results for the January - March period. After three quarters of strong gains, profits have dipped

Tags: Economy

Class 6-8 vehicles operated at an average 83.5% capacity in first quarter 2000, up 2.1 percentage points from first quarter 1999, according to the latest survey by MacKay & Co. Researchers said this was the highest utilization rate since 1988. The survey of 1,357 truck and bus fleets also indicated strong demand for truck transportation highlighted by an unusually small decline in utilization from fourth to first quarter

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The U.S. Department of Commerce has revised trailer sales data for 1998 from 344,312 units to 277,419 units. This is more in line with manufacturer surveys done by Economic Planning Associates which put 1998 total sales at 280,350

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The long period of relatively cheap insurance seems to be over. We’re hearing a few reports of price hikes as high 25-30% -- mainly for liability and workers’ compensation -- but the general consensus leans more toward 10-15%.

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The U.S. economy is in a "golden age" of prosperity that has lasted 17 years and while there may be a recession in the next 5-10 years, the overall outlook is for steady economic growth.

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"The process of moving freight--traditional trucking--is about to become a commodity, not a differentiator that is sustainable," Freightliner president/CEO Jim Hebe said addressing the recent annual meeting of TRALA.

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According to our data, freight volume should expand 5.5% this year. Because last year's big 7% gain came at the end of the year, the 5.5% annual forecast will be hit if the four quarters this

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Economic Planning Associates' latest survey of trailer manufacturers puts 1999 shipments at 301,800 units, up 7.7% from 1998. But data also indicates that the unwinding of previously strong momentum has begun.

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Truckload carriage seems to get more attention on Wall Street, but less-than-truckload deserves a second look, according to Jeffrey Kauffman, first vice president, Merrill Lynch & Co.

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Shipments of trailers and chassis totaled 275,366 units in 1999, down 19.9% from 1999, according to data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau and the TruckTrailer Manufacturer's Assn

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Despite a recent slowdown industry heavy truck orders, Navistar International Corp. stands by it's 405,000 medium and heavy duty forecast made late last year. It also hasn't changed its target 29.9% return on equity for fiscal

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How bad is the driver shortage? Bad enough for Wall Street to start calling it one of the biggest potential threats to the current economic boom. With the country entering a record 107th month of continuous economic

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A looming crisis in used trucks could have a negative impact on the entire trucking industry, according to Freightliner president and CEO Jim Hebe

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Nearly 70% of owner-operators say the deciding factor in purchases is price, according to a recent study

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The newly released Profile of the Commercial Truck Market from Newport Communications reveals a 12% growth in the Class 8 truck population in the three-year period from 1995 to 1998

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Seasonal slowdowns and weakness in some sectors drove overall Class 6-8 vehicle utilization down some in fourth quarter 1999, but trailer utilization rose sharply, according to the latest survey by MacKay & Co.

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Friday's report on the January labor market suggests that economic growth is accelerating rather than declining, as was widely expected. 387,000 new jobs were added last month. Even after subtracting the 116,000 new construction jobs due

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Population shifts are expected to lead to growth in freight movement in five regions of the country

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Fleets in MacKay & Co.’s monthly survey continue to report strong markets and high levels of equipment utilization

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The U.S. trucking industry is busier than ever delivering the goods for the 1999 holiday season

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Trailer shipments through October totaled 234,105 units, down 17.9% from the same period in 1998, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Census and the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Assn

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Trucks carried 71.7% of freight, measured by value, in the US in 1997, according to the Commodity Flow Survey just released as part of the 1997 Census of Business.

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November U.S. retail truck sales for Class 6-8 fell 7.3% from October to 35,719. But the total was 18.5% above last November.

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The rise of Generation X will have a significant impact on trucking, according to Dick Lanahan, president, Transportation Finance Group for The Associates. He says Gen-Xers have changed traditional, once successful, ways of doing business and he traces today's driver shortage to their reluctance to take less desirable jobs

Tags: Economy

A robust economy, trade expansion, accelerating manufacturing activity, strong consumer spending, and high levels of construction activity have kept trailer demand at relatively high levels, according to Economic Planning Associates.

Tags: Economy