Orders for trailers in February were up by 82 percent when compared to last year, indicating that demand for trucks and capacity remains red hot across the nation. Major delays at U.S. ports, a driver shortage, sky-high demand for consumer goods and a boom in new home construction are driving freight markets and sustained demand for truck capacity. In today’s “Where’s the Freight?” you’ll see that flatbed continues to dominate our top five hottest markets list, while Tucson, Ariz., remains the best reefer market in the country for truckers and carriers. Portland, Maine, and Jonesboro, Ark., are back on our hot markets list, while demand and rates for dry van in two Canadian markets remains extremely low.
A winter storm is expected to hit the Plains and Rockies over the weekend, bringing significant snowfall and wind gusts to Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska, with as much as 36 inches of snow forecast for some areas. If you’re on the road this weekend, stay safe!
In today’s Daily Watch, FreightWaves reports that demand for trucks has remained elevated for the last two weeks, with freight volumes up in several key Southwest, Southeast, Western and Pacific Northwest markets.
A surge in demand for trucks outbound from Jacksonville, Fla., will make the Jacksonville to Atlanta lane a hot one in the coming week. Set your sights on the spot market to maximize your revenue in this lane. Port congestion around L.A. and Long Beach means imports are being rerouted to other West Coast ports, such as Oakland, which may make the Stockton to Dallas a potential favorable one for truckers and carriers this week. The Dallas freight market is still struggling to recover from February’s winter storms. If you typically run Denver to Dallas, you’ll want to search the spot market for loads headed to Denver over the next three to five days.
For more on which markets will be hot and cold, read Where’s the Freight? Portland, Ft. Wayne, Lubbock and Tucson Projected To Be Best Markets for Truckers This Week. To download Trucker Tools’ free driver app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.