• The nation's slumping economy hit the truckload carriers hard this past year. Along with the business slowdown, carriers of all stripes—household-goods, high-value goods, industrial and heavy-haul, bulk, and dry-freight—confronted wage pressures arising from a driver shortage and cost pressures associated with higher diesel prices. Despite those challenges, a select group of carriers in these five categories exceeded customer expectations in our annual Quest for Quality survey.
• Three dry-freight carriers received kudos from readers for quality. Interestingly, the champs in this category—U.S. Xpress, M.S. Carriers, and Schneider National—were all named to the Readers' Choice list last year as well.
• Overall scores for dry-freight haulers improved over last year's. In 2000, readers gave the dry-freight category an average customer satisfaction score of 32.93; this year it jumped to 34.02. Average scores increased in only two categories: The value score moved up from 7.24 to 8.35, while the customer service rating ratcheted up from 6.05 to 6.40. By contrast, the equipment and operations metric slipped a notch (from 5.39 to 5.38), as did scores for on-time performance (from 10.71 to 10.60) and information technology (from 3.54 to 3.29).
• In the household-goods category, readers cited only two carriers for excellence this year: United Van Lines and Atlas Van Lines. Both were winners last year as well. The ratings for household-goods carriers on average beat last year's, rising from 32.81 to 33.88, though scores rose in only three individual categories. The on-time performance score moved up from 10.11 to 10.80. The information technology rating rose from 2.87 to 3.35. And the equipment and operations metric went from 5.26 to 5.93.
• When it comes to the movers of high-value goods, the readers conferred honors on Atlas Van Lines, United Van Lines, and North American Van Lines. The overall customer satisfaction score for this type of van line rocketed up from 32.45 last year to 35.09 this year. In fact, ratings for high-value goods movers shot up in every category except value. The on-time performance rating was boosted from 10.16 to 11.18. The information technology score rose from 2.84 to 3.42. The customer service rating jumped from 6.90 to 7.36, and the equipment and operations score increased from 5.21 to 6.08.
• As for industrial and heavy-haul carriers, two carriers received high honors—Trism Specialized Carriers and Landstar Ranger. As a group, industrial carriers scored higher than they did last year, going from a customer satisfaction score of 32.89 in 2000 to 34.69 in 2001. Scores shot up in four categories. The on-time performance score rose from 10.80 to 10.91, while the value rating soared from 7.38 to 8.33. The customer service metric also headed up, rising from 5.98 to 6.74, and the equipment and operations number increased from 5.24 to 5.38. In one area, however, the industrial and heavy-haul carriers saw their performance slip: Their information technology score declined from 3.51 in 2000 to 3.31 in 2001.
• Five bulk motor carriers earned gold medals this year—Schneider National, Quality Carriers, Groendyke Transport, Bulkmatic Transport, and Miller Transporters Inc. Nonetheless, bulk haulers as a group were the only type of truckload carrier whose overall customer satisfaction score tumbled from last year's. Bulk carriers received a 32.84 quality rating in 2000 compared with 32.05 this year. Scores in 2001 slipped for on-time performance, information technology, and customer service in comparison to the previous year. The only scores to show improvement were those for value, which rose from 7.46 to 7.50, and for equipment and operations, which went from 5.88 to 6.00.

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