37 % Matching supply to demand eciently 33 % Maintaining accurate inventory levels 32 % Ecommerce fulfillment expectations 31 % Finding capacity 28 % Shipment visibility 27 % Environmental, regulatory, and security compliance 23 % Migrating to intermodal and/or rail solutions 16 % Slightly more than half of shippers consider their relationships with their trucking companies and their brokers or other intermediaries equally important. Among the rest, truckers win the crown. Twenty-seven percent of shippers say their relationship with their carrier is more important than with a third-party partner; 19% say the opposite.
SHIPPERS Which is more important—your relationship with your carrier or with your broker/intermediary?
Broker/ Intermediary 19 %
Equally Important 54 %
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Carrier 27 %
TRUCKERS What legislative measures have the greatest impact on your business? TRUCKERS: GREATEST IMPACT Energy policy/sustainability requirements 56 % Driver mandates 49 % Infrastructure 49 % Healthcare 19 % Vehicle weight 14 % Highway Trust Fund 3 % In recent years, legislation related to infrastructure has emerged as the government activity with the greatest impact on trucking companies. Last year, 79% of trucking respondents named legislation focused on roads, bridges, and other facilities as one of their big policy concerns. This year, that’s changed. Only 49% cite infrastructure legislation, while 56% say energy policy and sustainability requirements make a major impact on their business. That impact, of course, could come in a variety of areas, including fuel prices, the kinds of trucks motor carriers need to buy, and what it costs to operate and maintain those vehicles. Another important category of government action is one that we included in this question for the first time this year—driver mandates. These include requirements such as Hours of Service regulations, testing requirements, and electronic logging devices (ELDs) to record driver activity. Nearly one-half of trucking respondents say that these mandates have a significant impact on their business. Fewer truckers are concerned this year than last about healthcare legislation (19% vs. 21%) and the Highway Trust Fund (3% vs. 10%). On the other hand, a few more truckers than last year cite laws about vehicle weight as a concern—14% in 2024 vs. 7% in 2023.
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September 2024 • Inbound Logistics 45
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