John 🅰️ Rogers

Dry Van Freight Market Update Week 46: ~You’ll notice LA is in RED due to the record-high number of TEU’s imported for October. TEU imports were up 26.4% y/y last month and accounted for nearly 50% of the national TEU volume. ~Higher import volumes boosted OB truckload volumes by 7% y/y in LA. ~Dry van outbound spot market rates are also up 7% paying carriers an average of $2.33/mile for Week 46. ~LA > Phoenix: Volumes are up 12% y/y while spot rates are averaging $3.01/mile. ~Expect truckload capacity to stay tight in LA until the end of the 2024 year. #freight #supplychain #transportation #logistics #trucking

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There are 1671 loads posted on DAT Freight & Analytics as of 0700 for R, F, or V for Sunday 11/24. 591 are R, 1018 are V, and 62 are F. With many of them being R loads originating out of CA, and we all know most of those are produce. Some have notes for multi drops, but that’s not uncommon for that type of commodity. I called 42 random postings since 0430 and ONLY 1 answered the phone. If I have a load posted, I will answer and I’m ready to do business. Yet many of these companies (both W2 brokerages and 1099 agents) aren’t answering. These are large 3PLs. We don’t put a condom on and walk around do we? No, we put it on when we’re ready to get busy. If I was a carrier, this would frustrate me to no end. I get calls from carriers I do business with. They will call me on load postings from other LDI agents asking me for their load details. I must tell them I can’t help because we are all independent agents. So I know this happens often. If shippers truly knew how brokers manipulated carriers, was not tentative to their freight, and how often they play games with it by the way they post and cover, many of these shippers would take their business elsewhere. If this is you, you need to be more professional. You are responsible to make sure your clients freight gets safely from A to B. You have an obligation to answer the phone anytime there is an issue, and that starts at the load posting. Answer the damn phone! Freight and money doesn’t sleep and if you want to sleep, take your posts down!

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Using freight brokers will keep your trucking business broke While they might be convenient for sourcing loads Fright brokers cut heavily into your margins If you’re looking at your books for some extra money It might be worth it to source direct shipper loads yourself But - there’s a lot that goes into it I’ve made a full guide on how to:   → What direct shippers are → How to find them → How to outreach to them → And how to close the deals This video could add 5 (maybe 6 figures) to your bottom line Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/g2JRBm_2

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Attention to detail is one of the most vital skills in logistics. Re-reading rate cons, checking PODs, confirming appointment time and hours, double-checking requirements for your freight, etc. Even though they can become monotonous, catching a single mistake or oversight can save an enormous amount of time and money. #Freight #Logistics #Trucking #SupplyChain

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A few quick freight forwarding tips to help you navigate imports through customs!

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Number of the Day 2.79 Million U.S. loaded container imports in October, in 20-foot equivalent units, up 5.8% from the same month last year for the smallest annual increase in a year and down 3.3% from September’s import volume, according to S&P Market Intelligence.

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Dry Van Freight Market Update Week 28: ~Port of LA is expecting to increase volumes 45% y/y in the 2nd week of July. ~TEU volume surges typically flood the dry van spot market in LA where volumes are up 25% in the last month. ~LA spot linehaul rates are $0.12/mile higher than last year as capacity has tightened to levels of Oct. 2022. ~LA averaged $2.22/mile for dry van outbound shipments which is $0.10/mile lower than in 2020, $0.10/mile higher than last year, & $0.20/mile higher than in 2019. #freightmarket #supplychain #transportation #logistics #trucking

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🚨 Trump’s Trade Tariff Pledge Sparks Urgent Supply Chain Moves Retailers and manufacturers are rushing shipments ahead of new tariffs on Chinese imports promised by President-elect Trump, driving up container demand and freight rates. Shippers anticipate higher costs, and cross-border trade with Mexico may face disruptions as companies assess shifting U.S.-Mexico trade policies. FreightWaves summarized in 10 bullet points potential trucking policy shifts: 1. Engine emissions: rollback of emissions standards on trucks. 2. Speed limiters: paused. 3. Autonomous trucks: return to less regulatory. 4. Trade/tariffs: potential tariffs on imports, impacting transportation costs. 5. Corporate taxes: lower corporate tax rates. 6. Tort reform: might push lawsuits into the federal court system. 7. Truck parking: supports the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. 8.  Independent contractors: support for independent contractor models. 9. Oil: boost to domestic oil production affecting fuel prices. 10. Infrastructure legislation: infrastructure reauthorization for 2026.

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Morning leaders of the industry☕️ My observations tend to originate from down in the weeds where the owner operators live. That’s who I work with and communicate with after a couple of decades as an owner operator independent contractor. You ask the right question in the opening sentence, “ Why does the current freight recession in the trucking sector feel so steep?” The key word is “feel” and this is important for many reasons. Ownership operators & drivers make the overwhelming majority of decisions based on feelings. It’s common knowlage that the great majority of owner ops don’t have accurate real time recordkeeping and don’t really know what it will cost to haul the loads agreed too. I could go on with more, but let’s think about this problem or behavior of not rejecting rate cons that are harmful to something we’ve all expersnced. The irrational decisions we make when hungry, out with friends and are ordering off of the menu with tempting pictures of delicious food. 🤔 as a. Owner told me once “I don’t need bookkeeping, if there’s $ in my checking acct. I must be make a profit. A good survey would be how the owner ops with less than 3-4 years feel vs the 5-15 years vs 25 or more🤔 Gary

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What's your favorite TMS for a brokerage? I know this will open a can of worms for sales guys, but I want to know from the people that work with these TMS' daily, not the ones who sell them. They all do the same thing, each one has a little bit different user interface and some have easier connect-ability. We will likely look to upgrade several things going into the new year such as adding Highway/RMIS/MCP (not sure yet which one). I was referred to AscendTMS, but I am not sure I am sold on it as a brokerage - Currently using StrategyLive as my TMS.

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Average Nationwide Freight Rates for the Week of May 6th Van This Week $2.14 Last Month $2.16 -0.93% Flatbed This Week $2.77 Last Month $2.73 1.47% Reefer This Week $2.55 Last Month $2.55 0.%

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September Pony Xpress Update: Gross Revenue: 91k Gross Profit: 9.6K Load count: 38 In July of 2023 I begun working on building Pony Xpress Logistics. If you don't know, it takes some time to build a business in the logistics industry. I was planning a start date of January 2024 as my main customers setup was quite lengthy and rigorous. I was working for a carrier up until September 2023 as I turned in my two weeks notice knowing that I had to move on as things were getting hairy. Going into October of 2023 I was unsure how long I would be "jobless" as I knew for a fact I was going to get this business off the ground and going. The kicker was, I was getting married in October.. Right as my business was in mid-startup. I told my wife that she is just going to have to trust me and that in 2-4 years we will be able to look back and laugh that we even worried. Pony Xpress also got sued instantly, just days after reinstating our MC# and changing it from a carrier to a brokerage. That was scary. Pony Xpress didn't move it's first load until the end of December and it was was singular load for a gross profit of $50, but it was a start. So many people asked me if I was crazy, dumb, stupid, or all of the above. To be honest with you, I was just determined. Getting sued right off the bat really lit me on fire and I have a drive like no one else because of it. Since all of that has taken place, in May of this year I thought about hanging it up. Money was draining, I was getting tired of constantly fighting to get an approval from a carriers factoring company, I was just flat out tired of it all. After speaking with my business partner and weighing our options we both determined it is in our favor to continue business. It's been the best decision I've ever made. Thank you to everyone that has been involved, the encouraging words, the constant push. Now speaking on the lawsuit - Which I try not to talk about or think about as it's really just a thorn in my side. My business partner and I have now been thrown into the lawsuit personally which has just really set me on fire. It's baseless and they are just trying their best to keep us involved in this lawsuit to waste our time and money. This lawsuit has caused us to miss so many opportunities to just do business really sucks. None the less, we are pushing forward and looking for new customers as we have to continue to build our business.

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Selecting the right shipping provider is crucial for your import supply chain's success. Here are 5 things to consider: 1. Know your free days before demurrage charges start. 2. Assess how fast and far your product needs to move from the port. 3. Opt for transloading if traveling over 200-250 miles from the port. 4. Decide on the visibility level needed for in-transit freight. 5. Use a single provider for efficiency and prioritized freight handling.  Working with a comprehensive provider like Schneider: - Simplifies your supply chain management - Reduces touchpoints - Prioritizes your success This leads to cost savings and better customer focus.

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Average Nationwide Freight Rates for the Week of April 22nd Van This Week $2.17 Last Month $2.13 1.88% Flatbed This Week $2.76 Last Month $2.69 2.60% Reefer This Week $2.54 Last Month $2.55 -0.39%

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This quote has many applications to trucking and logistics, and it’s not funny. Shippers don’t want truckers and logistics professionals organized—it cuts into shippers’ profits. “We need some system other than that employed by volume hogs and price cutters. If we don’t want to organize, then let’s find it out right away, quit wasting a lot of time and see just how quick we can all go broke.” — John A. Snively, 1947 Snively’s words are still relevant. Deregulation in 1980, driven by the Motor Carrier Act, dismantled the ICC, tariff bureaus, and entry barriers. What followed was a chaotic free-for-all where price-cutters thrived. Today, the trucking industry faces not only these challenges but also ghost brokers and Russian-owned trucking companies destabilizing the system further. The ICC’s breakup aimed to foster competition and lower shipping costs. It worked—shippers enjoyed cheaper freight and higher profits. But for carriers, drivers, and logistics professionals, it unleashed unsustainable practices. Rate agreements vanished, undercutting became the norm, and carriers flooded the market, slashing rates. Shrinking margins forced carriers to take unsafe shortcuts and rely on volume to stay afloat. Ghost brokers now exploit this deregulated environment. These shady middlemen use digital load boards to book freight they don’t own, undercut rates, and vanish after collecting payment. Carriers go unpaid, shippers lose freight, and legitimate brokers struggle to compete with fraudsters destabilizing the industry. Meanwhile, Russian-owned trucking companies quietly operate in the U.S., taking advantage of weak oversight. They often undercut rates, skirt regulations, and operate with minimal transparency. While competition isn’t the issue, their practices worsen the downward spiral of volume over safety, disrupting supply chains and raising national security concerns. The same shippers who celebrated deregulation now feel its effects. Cheap freight has led to unreliable carriers, missed deliveries, and driver shortages. The chaos Snively warned about has arrived: ghost brokers exploiting loopholes, foreign operators adding complexity, and U.S. carriers struggling in a survivalist market. The solution? Snively was right—organization and reform are crucial. The trucking industry must address these challenges head-on. Ghost brokers must be eliminated with stricter oversight. Foreign carriers should meet the same rigorous standards as U.S. operators. Most importantly, carriers and drivers must organize—not just for fair pay, but to stabilize an industry on the edge. Without reform, the trucking industry risks collapse. Deregulation has created a system rewarding bad actors and punishing rule-followers. Without change, Snively’s warning will come true, and we’ll see “just how quick we can all go broke.”

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Dry Van Freight Market Update June 3-9: ~In Top 5 States for dry van spot market freight (IL, CA, TX, GA, NJ) rates were up $0.03/mile on a 27% higher volume. ~LA imports increased 22% w/w pushing outbound linehaul rates by $0.04/mile to $2.19/mile.  ~Atlanta volumes increased 26% w/w causing outbound dry van linehaul rates to increase to $2.01/mile. ~Dallas volumes were up 32% w/w with outbound rates up $0.04/mile to $1.60/mile. ~Chicago outbound volumes were up 25% w/w with spot rates up to $1.96/mile. #freightmarket #supplychain #transportation #logistics #trucking

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You hire an independent freight agent at the beginning of the month, only to find out later that they’ve been abusing your authority and MC number, leading to a double-brokerage report against your company. With all the evidence showing the agent's fraudulent actions, should the company be forced to go out of business, or does it deserve the opportunity to clear its name and restore its reputation? What would you do in this situation? How should a company handle the aftermath of hiring someone who causes serious damage to its operations? #Logistics #Freight #DoubleBrokering #BusinessIntegrity #Leadership #Transportation #EthicsInBusiness

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