"Truck tonnage rose 8.8% in January on a year-over-year basis, according to American Trucking Associations’ monthly for-hire truck tonnage index.

The news also was good on a sequential basis as tonnage increased 2% from December to January. The seasonally adjusted index was 111.6 last month, up from 109.4 in December."

Read more here: Tonnage Rise Pushes Spot Rates Higher – Burney Simpson, Transport Topics

Economists debate how close the U.S. is to full employment, but less often discussed is where the most crucial constraints are in the labor market. . . . [T]ruck drivers are a different matter, because of how crucial freight is to the U.S. economy. And for a variety of reasons, it’s truck drivers that represent the most worrisome constraint on U.S. economic growth at the moment. . . . 

The trucking industry is unique because it’s the lifeblood of moving goods around the country, representing 70% of the nation’s freight volume by weight. Without enough trucks and drivers on the road, some combination of things is going to happen: Shipments will be delayed, and producers will have to pay higher prices to get goods to market."

Read more information: The US Is Running Out of Truckers – Conor Sen, Transport Topics