We’re moving right past Fall and into Peak Season. Are you ready?

  • By now you’ve heard that Amazon is looking for a ”second headquarters” and there are some 200+ cities in the running and our it’s one of them. They matched some criteria to cities and states for consideration. Based on that criteria they could be looking at New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston. We may be biased, but come on, Atlanta!
  • Not sure how we missed this report last month. ATA Report Sees Growth in Freight, Trucking Through 2026. Some of the Forecast’s findings:
    • Trucking will still be the dominant mode of freight transportation, although the share of tonnage it hauls dips slightly. Even though truck tonnage grows over the forecast period, trucking’s share will dip from 68.8 percent in 2014 to 64.6 percent in 2026.
    • Due to tremendous growth in energy production in the U.S., pipelines will benefit more than other modes. Between 2015 and 2026, pipeline volumes will increase an average of 10.6 percent a year and their share of freight will increase from 10.8 percent in 2015 to 18.1 percent in 2026.
    • While railroads’ share of freight tonnage will drift down from 14.2 percent in 2015 to 12.3 percent in 2026, intermodal freight will be the second-fastest growing mode at 4.5 percent annually through 2021 and increase 5.3 percent per year thereafter.
  • Truck driver shortage, yes or no? The ATA is also reporting there is an ongoing truck driver shortage. The report is authored by ATA Chief Economist & Senior Vice President Bob Costello  and he says, driver shortage is projected to hit 50,000 by the end of 2017, with the possibility, if things remain the same, that the number could exceed 174,000 by 2026. “In addition to the sheer lack of drivers, fleets are also suffering from a lack of qualified drivers, which amplifies the effects of the shortage on carriers,” Costello said. “This means that even as the shortage numbers fluctuate, it remains a serious concern for our industry, for the supply chain and for the economy at large. We experienced a ‘freight recession,’ last year, which eased the pressure on the driver market. Now that freight volumes accelerating again, we should expect to see a significant tightening of the driver market.”

As of September 8, 2020, Crimson & Co (formerly The Progress Group/TPG) has rebranded as Argon & Co following the successful merger with Argon Consulting in April 2018. 

Bruce Strahan

[email protected]

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