Regional LTL Quest for Quality 2019: Finding the proper balance of service and cost

About 10 years ago, the regional Less than Truckload (LTL) market hit some tough times due to high internal fixed costs and changing shipper demands. However, that tune has certainly changed as the demands of e-commerce have increased.

Trucking analysts continue to tell Logistics Management (LM) that despite signs of a slowdown caused by tariffs and threats of trade wars, the LTL sector as a whole continues to outperform its truckload competitors in its ability to control costs, get rate increases and drive efficiencies in shippers’ supply chains—especially in the all-important e-commerce-related services arena.

And while freight has slowed since its all-time peak last summer, LTL analysts are predicting another above-average year for the sector due to the addition of those expedited services, moves that will usher in rate increases averaging in the mid-to-high single digits over the course of 2019.

According to the readers of LM, the 14 carriers that grace our winners’ list this year have certainly done a terrific job of balancing service and cost. And while every carrier listed will take home Quest for Quality gold, this category’s weighted scores represent some of the highest across our entire 2019 survey.

In the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, A. Duie Pyle put up a 49.44, while in the South/South Central Southeastern Freight Lines scored a 51.92, one of the highest scores posted across all categories this year. In the Midwest/North Central, Moran Transportation Corp. had an impressive 50.85 weighted score, and Lynden Transport posted a 49.53 to take top billing in our Western section this year.