Inbound Logistics | September 2022

TRUCKERS: WHAT PRIMARY TYPES OF SERVICE DO YOU OFFER?

85% 78% 73% 71% 65% 60% 57% 54% 46% 38% 35% 31% 28% 23% 14%

TL Logistics services Brokerage Dedicated contract carriage LTL Temperature control Flatbed

Full truckload (TL) remains the most ubiquitous form of trucking service: 85% of our survey respondents stand ready to haul a trailer filled with product. If you have a smaller load, 65% of trucking companies in the survey can oer less-than-truckload (LTL) service. Seventy-one percent can promise reliable capacity through dedicated contract carriage. If you need a partner that can move your loads on other truckers’ assets as well as its own, or one that oers more than just transportation, you might contact the 78% of respondents that provide logistics services or the 73% that serve as transportation brokers. More specialized transportation services are less abundant but still readily available. For example, 60% of truckers oer temperature- controlled transportation, 57% provide flatbed service, 54% manage intermodal moves, and 46% provide expedited service.

Intermodal Expedited Bulk Final mile Household goods Tanker White glove Package

TRUCKERS: WHAT INDUSTRIES/COMMODITIES DO YOU SERVE?

81% 76% 73% 71% 71% 61% 57% 55% 54% 39% 36%

As in 2021, the food and beverage industry is the segment where trucking companies are most likely to find their customers; 81% of respondents said they serve that industry. This represents a slight drop from last year, when 84% said they hauled food and beverage products. We’ve also seen a slight dip in the second-most popular commodity category, “freight all kinds,” which refers to multiple products combined in one load. In 2021, 80% of respondents were hauling that mixed freight; this year, the proportion is 76%. Other industries served by a significant portion of trucking companies include automotive (73%), construction and building materials (71%), retail/e- commerce (71%), and high-value commodities such as electronics and pharmaceuticals (61%). The percentage of trucking companies that serve customers in retail and/or e-commerce rose slightly in the past year, from 69% in 2021 to 71% in 2022. Both those numbers are a bit lower than in 2020—the earliest months of the pandemic—when 74% of truckers said they counted shippers in retail/e-commerce among their customers. Pre-pandemic, in 2019, the number was 75%. Retail/e-commerce represents a crucial customer segment for trucking companies, but its importance has ticked down slightly in the past two years.

Food and beverage

Freight all kinds

Automotive

Construction and building materials

Retail/e-commerce

High value (electronics, pharma, etc.)

Furniture

Chemicals

Agriculture

Oil, gas, and energy

Government

September 2022 • Inbound Logistics 47

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