Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the demand for truck drivers has skyrocketed, exacerbating the ongoing driver shortage with no solution in sight. Shelves are bare, drivers are scarce, and the economy is uncertain. Even as trucking salaries have risen, the talent deficit remains. It’s common for drivers to feel overworked and underpaid. They’re becoming stressed and homesick. If expanding the pay (sometimes even double) cannot solve the shortage, then what can? How can you attract more drivers as well as keep current drivers? 

Dealing with the pressures from the ever-changing supply chain and transportation industry takes a specialized approach to freight management and shipping. In times like these, dedicated freight solutions can have a tremendous impact on both forward and return logistics, impacting everyone from hybrid freight brokers to shippers to carriers. Recent pressures that started with the COVID-19 pandemic and continue today with economic and manufacturing forces shape businesses big and small looking to gettheir products from Point A to Point B. Dedicated transportation services can make it easier to track, manage, and capitalize on every truckload and every shipment—regardless of whether a trucking company deals with specialty products or faces unexpected spikes or crashes in demand. 

The business of freight is continuing to evolve. What once was only done continentally by wagon and then train now often sees multiple modes of transport. With the evolution of travel, methods develop the logistics required to complete each delivery. As populations expanded and dispersed across the nation alongside the new forms of transport, brokers came into play to solve the communication disconnect between shippers and carriers. In recent years, technological advances have both eased and widened the jobs of freight brokers, and out of that constantly growing work came a new freight broker business plan: the hybrid broker.

Empty space lines store shelves, and the economy’s future hangs in the balance. While freight moves around the globe, there’s a critical problem coming to light. The truck driver shortage is worsening, and everyone is trying to figure out the best solution. Many have argued that keeping drivers happy is the best step to overcoming it. However, there’s another obvious problem. 

Truckload drivers have a huge responsibility to themselves — find and secure loads to keep themselves on the road and their trucks full. These supply chain champions help keep markets growing and moving forward. At the same time, companies are looking to hire owner-operator drivers to handle their freight transport needs. When it comes to securing dedicated loads, it can be more challenging than ever to keep trucks full and moving. With demand growing year after year, freight rates increase, making dedicated freight loads more profitable for drivers if they can secure them. According to Transport Topics’ recent review, “data shows total truckload rates year-over-year are holding around 12% higher. They are forecast to grow 2.5% to 3% throughout the year… But year-over-year results could start stabilizing later in the year because of a surge in rates last year.” Making the smart choice can help drivers find dedicated loads quickly and easily. The following steps can make it easier for drivers to maintain full capacity and master load procurement within supply chain trucking lanes. 

The AMX Atlanta team has a unique problem. So does the AMX Savannah team. Both sites have doubled in size in the past year — and that means trying to remember the names of twice as many customers and coworkers.

Every trucking and logistics company should be thankful.

It’s the great supply chain trucking slowdown of 2021. Shelves are empty. Cargo ships are idling. And frustrations are mounting. Our nation’s clogged supply chains are causing a backlog of undelivered freight. With the holidays fast approaching — and more reports of an expansive truck driver shortage surfacing — most insiders and consumers are expecting even longer delays. But there’s hope amid the growing panic and despair of more-severe-than-expected supply chain bottlenecks. Some trucking firms are thriving by consistently meeting customer expectations. But how?[mk_fancy_title color=”#77212c” size=”22″ force_font_size=”true” size_tablet=”20″ size_phone=”18″ font_weight=”bold” font_style=”normal” txt_transform=”none” margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” responsive_align=”left”]Be good to drivers[/mk_fancy_title]Every organization seeks stability. For trucking firms, that means having a crew of reliable truck drivers. While there are up to 33,000 fewer CDL drivers than last year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and annual turnover rates have reached 95% according to other reports¹, a few trucking companies have retained most of their top talent.

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