Fast Runners on a Muddy Track
Can you think of another sector in the logistics and transportation market that's had a muddier track to negotiate than truckload (TL)?
By Staff -- Logistics Management, 8/1/2007
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Quest For Quality Awards
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Over the past seven months, capacity has slowly returned to the segment, putting downward pressure on rates—while the spot market for TL rates has all but collapsed. Truckload carriers that had maintained pricing discipline for the last five years now seem to be on the brink of an all-out rate war in a bid to win shipper business.
Yet with the adversity and operational hardship TL carriers are facing, LM readers voted 29 carriers into the winner's circle, three more than last year, and we even saw improvement in weighted averages in two categories. In Industrial & Heavy Haul, readers welcomed Melton Truck Lines (34.92) and Landstar Carrier Group (34.45) back to the podium for the third year in a row. It's interesting to note that both Melton and Landstar saw improvements in their On-time Performance scores this year over last. The category also saw two relative newcomers putting up some impressive numbers. Anderson Trucking Services crossed the wire first with a weighted score of 36.45, while Prime Inc. placed with a 35.58.
Readers told us that there were eight Dry Freight Carriers who breezed to Quest for Quality gold this year—two more than 2006. Heartland Express took the top prize this year with a 34.84. Heartland led the way in Value (8.31), Customer Service (6.05), and Equipment & Operations (5.40). CFI placed second in this category for the second year in a row, posting a 33.91. CFI set the pace in On-time Performance (11.48) and Information Technology (3.91). Now that CFI is part of Con-way, it will be interesting to see how the standings change in 2008. Con-way Truckload Services posted a 33.61 this year, earning a spot on the podium as well.
Expedited Motor Carriers was one of the two categories in our TL findings where we saw the overall weighted average improve this year over last—a sign of overall improvement in service in the sector. FedEx Custom Critical put up a very impressive 13.35 On-time Performance score and a 38.15 weighted score, one of the highest of all the weighted scores this year. Pitt Ohio Express posted the highest Value score this year with a 9.25.
In the Bulk Motor Carriers category, readers welcomed Superior Carriers back to the winner's circle for the second year in a row, giving the carrier a 32.99 weighted score. Newcomers to the category this year include Quality Carriers who led the pack with a 33.35, Prime Inc. (32.62), Yellow Transportation (32.34), and Trimac Transportation (32.32).
Even though the overall weighted average dipped nearly a point this year in Household Goods & High-Value Goods Carriers, readers added three more winners than last year to the category. Mayflower Transit (33.17), United Van Lines (32.70), and Allied Van Lines (32.55) made it back for the second year in a row, while Suddath Companies (35.76), Roadway Express (32.29), and Yellow Transportation (32.10) were newcomers this year.
Industrial & Heavy-Haul Carriers
| On-time Performance | Value | Information Technology | Customer Service | Equipment & Operations | Weighted Score | |
| Anderson Trucking Services | 12.10 | 8.20 | 3.84 | 6.56 | 5.74 | 36.45 |
| Prime, Inc | 12.00 | 7.81 | 4.06 | 6.21 | 5.50 | 35.58 |
| Melton Truck Lines | 12.48 | 7.15 | 3.64 | 6.07 | 5.57 | 34.92 |
| Landstar Carrier Group | 11.49 | 8.06 | 3.70 | 5.86 | 5.34 | 34.45 |
| AVERAGE | 11.13 | 7.78 | 3.60 | 5.89 | 5.22 | 33.62 |
Dry Freight Carriers
| On-time Performance | Value | Information Technology | Customer Service | Equipment & Operations | Weighted Score | |
| Heartland Express | 11.46 | 8.31 | 3.61 | 6.05 | 5.40 | 34.84 |
| CFI (Contract Freighters Inc.) | 11.48 | 7.31 | 3.91 | 5.92 | 5.30 | 33.91 |
| Crete Carrier Corp. | 11.47 | 8.03 | 3.52 | 5.70 | 5.12 | 33.84 |
| Con-way Truckload Services | 11.38 | 7.66 | 3.74 | 5.84 | 4.99 | 33.61 |
| Landstar Carrier Group | 10.76 | 7.66 | 3.44 | 5.65 | 5.11 | 32.61 |
| Dart Transit Co. | 10.71 | 7.67 | 3.62 | 5.63 | 4.83 | 32.46 |
| USF Glen Moore | 10.74 | 7.93 | 3.40 | 5.57 | 4.73 | 32.37 |
| Yellow Transportation | 10.27 | 7.74 | 3.73 | 5.54 | 4.83 | 32.10 |
| AVERAGE | 10.40 | 7.59 | 3.62 | 5.49 | 4.92 | 32.01 |
Expedited Motor Carriers
| On-time Performance | Value | Information Technology | Customer Service | Equipment & Operations | Weighted Score | |
| FedEx Custom Critical | 13.35 | 7.48 | 4.62 | 6.76 | 5.93 | 38.15 |
| Landstar Express America | 12.69 | 8.58 | 4.22 | 6.64 | 5.79 | 37.92 |
| Pitt Ohio Express | 12.18 | 9.25 | 3.94 | 6.36 | 5.52 | 37.24 |
| UPS | 11.69 | 8.41 | 4.42 | 5.71 | 5.48 | 35.70 |
| ABF Freight System | 11.58 | 8.11 | 4.27 | 6.33 | 5.28 | 35.57 |
| Avertitt Express | 11.54 | 8.27 | 3.84 | 6.05 | 5.64 | 35.34 |
| AVERAGE | 11.52 | 8.16 | 4.06 | 6.03 | 5.34 | 35.11 |
Bulk Motor Carriers
| On-time Performance | Value | Information Technology | Customer Service | Equipment & Operations | Weighted Score | |
| Quality Carriers | 10.89 | 8.30 | 3.49 | 5.72 | 4.95 | 33.35 |
| Superior Carriers | 10.72 | 7.40 | 3.52 | 5.85 | 5.50 | 32.99 |
| Prime, Inc. | 10.91 | 7.27 | 3.77 | 5.59 | 5.08 | 32.62 |
| Yellow Transportation | 10.41 | 7.40 | 3.93 | 5.66 | 4.94 | 32.34 |
| Trimac Transportation | 10.56 | 7.59 | 3.40 | 5.33 | 5.44 | 32.32 |
| AVERAGE | 10.43 | 7.47 | 3.77 | 5.63 | 4.96 | 32.25 |
Household Goods & High-Value Goods Carriers
| On-time Performance | Value | Information Technology | Customer Service | Equipment & Operations | Weighted Score | |
| All scores are weighted. Weighted scores are determined by multiplying the average raw scores by the average importance of each attribute (1= least important; 5= most important). To find the attributed weights for this category, see the introduction to the Quest for Quality report. Source: Logistics Management, Reed Research Group |
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| Suddath Companies | 12.00 | 9.04 | 3.59 | 6.07 | 5.06 | 35.76 |
| Mayflower Transit | 10.97 | 7.93 | 3.40 | 5.70 | 5.17 | 33.17 |
| United Van Lines | 10.97 | 7.53 | 3.40 | 5.85 | 4.95 | 32.70 |
| Allied Van Lines | 10.52 | 7.70 | 3.53 | 5.72 | 5.08 | 32.55 |
| Roadway Express | 10.51 | 7.61 | 3.78 | 5.70 | 4.70 | 32.29 |
| Yellow Transportation | 10.23 | 7.61 | 3.78 | 5.55 | 4.93 | 32.10 |
| AVERAGE | 10.23 | 7.46 | 3.51 | 5.60 | 4.82 | 31.62 |
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