Motor Freight Research Articles

Truck Driver Turnover: An Internal Marketing Perspective

INTRODUCTION Environmental pressures have created havoc for the trucking industry during the last several years. For example, downward rate pressures in the motor carrier industry in the post deregulation decade forced cost reduction measures that resulted in a serious decline in profitability, which in turn negatively affected truck drivers' wages. This decline contributed to a shortage of drivers for unionized less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers and extremely high turnover rates for nonunion for-hire truckload (TL) carriers. Industry-wide focus on price setting and market coverage as the primary tools of marketing strategy resulted in the continuation of rate pressures in an increasingly competitive environment. Consequently, raising truck driver wage levels was not seen as an option for some carriers. The current situation has somewhat improved. Myron P. Shevell, CEO of New England Motor Freight and Chairman of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association reports that the LTL business is healthier now than it has been for five or six years (Myron P. Shevell.... 1998). This comes as a result of the growing economy. Customers are requiring the shipment of more goods which translates into more business for the trucking industry. Early in 1997, many carriers announced they would be raising their general freight rates, some as much as 5.7 percent (Carriers Announce.... 1997). Nine months later some shippers imposed a second price increase of 4.9 to 5.9 percent (Mullins 1997). Bill Zollars, President of Yellow Freight System, believes these increases are necessary if carriers are to continue delivering the level of service and enabling technology that customers have come to expect (Carriers Announce.... 1997). Executives at Roadway Express communicate similar needs. They want to ensure their ability to invest in the equipment, information systems, personnel, and training needed to permit the carrier to provide the stable relationship and service level customers demand. Thus, it would appear that a healthy economy, strong consumer demand, and rock-bottom retail inventories are delivering carriers the heavy freight traffic they have long desired along with desired rate increases. Even with these positive developments, the trucking industry is still facing an uphill battle. A major shortage of drivers and therefore, a shortage of available equipment, has turned what could be a boon into a bust for some carriers in the industry as they find themselves unable to move the additional traffic. In other words, even with the implementation of a much needed freight rate increase, the trucking industry is still faced with a severe problem--driver turnover. For years, carriers have been attempting to buy their way out of shortage/turnover problems. One common approach has been to out recruit the problem. Recruitment and training has played a significant role in providing fleets with drivers. Careful scrutiny reveals the pitfalls of relying exclusively on this aspect of human resource management. Thus, managers have begun to seek other solutions to the problem. John Smith, President and CEO of CRST International reports that ten years ago, recruitment was a line item in our safety budget, now we spend more on recruiting than we do on marketing activities (Richardson 1994). It costs approximately $3,000 to $6,000 to recruit and train each new driver and to integrate him/her into the fleet (Leibowitz, Schlossberg, and Shore 1991; Stephenson 1996). These costs are sufficiently high to change a profitable operation into an unprofitable one suggesting that a purely recruiting based strategy--guarding the front door of the company, while leaving the back door unprotected--maybe effective, but is much too costly. Thus, this tactic has not been effective in the long run. Driver retention is possible provided the company treats each driver as a vital member of the company. This approach requires managers to think of drivers as a primary employee group. …

Is the U.S. Labor Market for Truck Drivers Broken? An Empirical Analysis Using Nationally Representative Data

The US trucking industry trade press often portrays the US labor market for truck drivers as not working, citing persistent driver shortages and high levels of firm‐level turnover, and predicting significant resulting constraints on the supply of motor freight services. We investigate the truck driver labor market using three techniques. First, using data from the Occupational Employment Statistics of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we delineate the structure of the driver workforce.Second, from the same source we find that the trucking labor market has displayed some characteristics of a tight labor market since 2003: rising nominal wages, stable/growing employment, and lower rates of unemployment than other blue-collar jobs. Third, using data from the Current Population Survey we describe the occupations and industries from which drivers come and to which drivers go, when they change occupations, and statistically analyze these entries and exits. We find relatively high rates of occupational attachment among drivers, and importantly, we also find that truck drivers respond in the expected manner to differences in earnings across occupations.Finally, we point out that the issues discussed by the industry are concentrated in one segment of the overall market, that for drivers in long distance truckload (TL) motor freight, which contains between one sixth and one fourth of all heavy and tractor‐trailer truck drivers. These findings suggest a more nuanced view of this labor market. The market as a whole appears to work as well as any other blue‐collar labor market, and while the truck driver market tends to be tight, there do not appear to be any special constraints preventing entry into (or exit from) the occupation. There is thus no reason to think that driver supply should fail to respond to price signals in the standard way, given sufficient time. The persistent issues localized in the TL segment are not visible in the aggregate data, and require a distinct analysis.

Itinerant Phase Converter with Improved Energy Performance

At present, the control system of electric traction motors is widely used in four-regulators collected on thyristors in a bridge rectifier circuit. The feature switching processes in them are needed to introduce an artificial delay of the thyristors opening angle, which reduces the average value of the power factor up to 0.8. The article assesses the effectiveness of the combination of the rectified voltage from the point of view of increasing the energy performance of the band rectifiers for controlling the traction motor freight locomotives operating on alternating current. With this regulation the greatest effect is achieved in the first control zone, under normal conditions when the power factor is particularly low (0.2 ... 0.6). The expected improvement of the average power factor of the first zone will be about 22%, and taking into account the duration of the performance in all working areas, it should be about 5-10%

ANALYSIS OF DISPARITIES IN THE SAFE TRANSPORT ENSURING ECONOMIC REGIONS OF UKRAINE EXAMPLE OF SPECIALIZATION

Location of economy on the state’s economic regions has the specific features which depend on various factors, such as distribution of population, labour and natural resource allocation, location of economic activity and service trades. The conducted analysis of motor freight traffic dynamics demonstrates industrial specialization of economic regions of Ukraine.

Correlates of fruit and vegetable consumption among construction laborers and motor freight workers

The aim of this study was to compare and contrast correlates of fruit and vegetable consumption in two blue-collar populations: construction laborers and motor freight workers. Cross-sectional data were collected from two groups of male workers: (1) construction laborers (n = 1,013; response rate = 44 %) randomly selected from a national sample, as part of a diet and smoking cessation study; and (2) motor freight workers (n = 542; response rate = 78 %) employed in eight trucking terminals, as part of a tobacco cessation and weight management study. Data were analyzed using linear regression modeling methods. For both groups, higher income and believing it was important to eat right because of work were positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption; conversely, being white was associated with lower intake. Construction laborers who reported eating junk food due to workplace stress and fatigue had lower fruit and vegetable intake. For motor freight workers, perceiving fast food to be the only choice at work and lack of time to eat right were associated with lower consumption. Comparing occupational groups illustrates how work experiences may be related to fruit and vegetable consumption in different ways as well as facilitates the development of interventions that can be used across groups.

Memories of the Silver Fox

It is an honor in this 50th anniversary issue of the Transportation Journal to share memories of Charles A. Taff, respectfully referred to as the Silver Fox by many who enjoyed professional association with him. Like so many of Charlie’s former students, I am indebted to him for setting a career path that has been so very rewarding. My first encounter with Charlie occurred when I was a naive junior majoring in business at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). We met when I enrolled in his course on motor transportation, and this was followed by a course in traffic management. The textbooks used in both classes were written by Charlie. He was a very knowledgeable, interesting teacher who knew his students and took an interest in them. After these classes, and several others, influenced in part by Charlie, I made the decision to major in transportation. I have never regretted this decision. Charlie was more than just another teacher; he was a mentor. He encouraged students to join clubs such as Delta Nu Alpha and the Propeller Club. He worked with industry leaders to get them to visit classes and assist students. Pilot Motor Freight offered a scholarship, and I was fortunate to be a recipient. When graduation neared, Charlie helped students get jobs through his contacts in the business world. Firms like ALCOA, Hershey Chocolate, U.S. Steel, and Western Electric Company (WECO) were on his contact list. After several interviews and career discussions with Charlie, I decided to work for WECO in Manhattan. Western Electric had a tuition refund plan, so after talking with Charlie and others, it made good sense to attend New York University (NYU) and work part time on an MBA. About halfway through the program, WECO transfered me to Oklahoma City, and when I applied for an MBA at the University of Oklahoma (OU), Charlie agreed to be a reference. At both NYU and OU it was nice to hear teachers speak so highly of my mentor. Upon completion of the MBA, I consulted Charlie regarding the crazy idea of seeking a PhD at Michigan State University, and once again there was positive feedback and encouragement.

Association of Sleep Adequacy With More Healthful Food Choices and Positive Workplace Experiences Among Motor Freight Workers

Association of Sleep Adequacy With More Healthful Food Choices and Positive Workplace Experiences Among Motor Freight Workers

A process evaluation of tobacco-related outcomes from a telephone and print-delivered intervention for motor freight workers

Interventions are needed to address the high prevalence of tobacco use among blue-collar, motor freight workers in the United States. In the present study, we conducted an evaluation of the Gear Up for Health study to evaluate which intervention components associated with this print- and telephone counseling-based tobacco intervention were associated with affecting psychosocial indicators of future quitting, number of quit attempts, and quitting tobacco. The sample is comprised of 64 baseline tobacco users. The intervention components evaluated were receipt of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), aspects of the counseling calls, the targeted and tailored print materials, and goal setting. The results indicated that several intervention components were related to tobacco cessation, and less frequently related to psychosocial indicators ( i.e. intention and self-efficacy) and quit attempts. A higher percentage of those who quit using tobacco, versus not quitting, thought the number of calls were just right (100% vs. 75%), received NRT (87% vs. 56%), read most or all of the materials (100% vs. 70%), found the materials to be very helpful (87% vs. 30%), set tobacco goals (93% vs. 58%) and met these goals (100% vs. 44%) ( p ≤ 0.05 for all). These results may be used in planning future interventions and indicated that perceptions of materials, call number, and call content may be more important than absolute call number or duration. Thus, the number and duration of counseling calls may be flexible and determined in response to the needs of participants.

Association of Sleep Adequacy With More Healthful Food Choices and Positive Workplace Experiences Among Motor Freight Workers

We assessed whether adequate sleep is linked to more healthful eating behaviors among motor freight workers and whether it mediates the effects of workplace experiences. Data were derived from a baseline survey and assessment of permanent employees at 8 trucking terminals. Bivariate and multivariate regression models were used to examine relationships between work environment, sleep adequacy, and dietary choices. The sample (n = 542) was 83% White, with a mean age of 49 years and a mean body mass index of 30 kg/m(2). Most of the participants were satisfied with their job (87.5%) and reported adequate sleep (51%); 30% reported job strain. In our first model, lack of job strain and greater supervisor support were significantly associated with adequate sleep. In our second model, educational level, age, and adequate sleep were significantly associated with at least 2 of the 3 healthful eating choices assessed (P < .05). However, work experiences were not significant predictors of healthful food choices when adequate sleep was included. Adequate sleep is associated with more healthful food choices and may mediate the effects of workplace experiences. Thus, workplace health programs should be responsive to workers' sleep patterns.

Associations of diet behaviours and intention to eat healthily with tobacco use among motor freight workers

Department of Society, Human Development and Health, The Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Community-Based Research Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St, LW 703, Boston, MA 02115, USA Center for Statistical Analysis and Research, New England Research Institutes, Watertown, MA, USA Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Evaluating and pricing lanes in the truckload motor freight industry

In this article, we develop methods for evaluating and pricing lanes in the truckload motor freight industry. An optimisation-based simulation approach is used to suggest lane prices in the carrier's existing network and to examine various strategic scenarios. Two efficient heuristics are developed which provide relatively accurate prices and facilitate implementation. Computational results are reported and the pricing methods are compared to actual carrier prices and prices from a commercial data service.

Spread of Cellular Phones and Occupancy Rate of Motor Freight

Spread of Cellular Phones and Occupancy Rate of Motor Freight

Alternative Methods for Estimating State Welfare Gains from Economic Deregulation of Intrastate Motor Freight Carriage: A Comparison of Results: Comment

Alternative Methods for Estimating State Welfare Gains from Economic Deregulation of Intrastate Motor Freight Carriage: A Comparison of Results: Comment

Alternative Methods for Estimating State Welfare Gains from Economic Deregulation of Intrastate Motor Freight Carriage: A Comparison of Results: Comment

Alternative Methods for Estimating State Welfare Gains from Economic Deregulation of Intrastate Motor Freight Carriage: A Comparison of Results: Comment

The Core Shipper Concept: A Proactive Strategy for Motor Freight Carriers

Abstract Motor freight providers today are faced with an increasingly restrictive and demanding operating environment. In an effort to improve safety on the highway, hours-of-service rules have been changed. Security issues also play a role and global trade has become the norm. Shippers' goals of creating the integrated, time-based supply chain using lean inventory strategies necessary for their competitive survival place even greater demands on transportation providers. Yesterday's admonition to better understand shipper concerns and to respond to them is no longer adequate to ensure carrier success. Instead of simply reacting to shipper concerns, carriers must take a proactive approach to determining which shippers they should serve. This approach would enhance the ability of motor carriers to meet their own financial and strategic objectives as they provide shipper-specified services that are intended to enhance the shippers' product/service offerings to their customers. In contrast to focusing on market segments based on shipper similarities, adopting a core shipper strategy requires carriers to take a proactive approach to shipper selection by focusing on the carriers' competencies, resources, and strategic objectives.

The Core Shipper Concept: A Proactive Strategy for Motor Freight Carriers

Abstract Motor freight providers today are faced with an increasingly restrictive and demanding operating environment. In an effort to improve safety on the highway, hours-of-service rules have been changed. Security issues also play a role and global trade has become the norm. Shippers' goals of creating the integrated, time-based supply chain using lean inventory strategies necessary for their competitive survival place even greater demands on transportation providers. Yesterday's admonition to better understand shipper concerns and to respond to them is no longer adequate to ensure carrier success. Instead of simply reacting to shipper concerns, carriers must take a proactive approach to determining which shippers they should serve. This approach would enhance the ability of motor carriers to meet their own financial and strategic objectives as they provide shipper-specified services that are intended to enhance the shippers' product/service offerings to their customers. In contrast to focusing on market segments based on shipper similarities, adopting a core shipper strategy requires carriers to take a proactive approach to shipper selection by focusing on the carriers' competencies, resources, and strategic objectives.

Alternative Methods for Estimating State Welfare Gains from Economic Deregulation of Intrastate Motor Freight Carriage: A Comparison of Results

Abstract Prior to the deregulation of intrastate motor carriage in 1995, several studies estimated the expected gains of deregulation predicated on the rate decreases that had occurred following interstate deregulation in 1980. One complex study used the “price” model of a multi-regional input-output model (linking forty-eight state level input-output models) to estimate Posner welfare trapezoids and Harberger welfare triangles. Herein, a much simpler model to capture the welfare effects is presented. While lacking the interdependencies of input-output, the simpler model captures the first order effects of the rate decreases. Comparing the results of the two methods yields roughly the same results ($2.5 billion/year welfare trapezoids for twenty strongly regulated states) in the aggregate. Given the simple model's ability to replicate the results of the more complex model, the simple model is then used to estimate the welfare gains using intrastate flow volumes from 1993 and from 1995 rate decrease estimates collected anecdotally from shippers, carriers, state motor freight associations, residual state regulatory agencies, rate bureaus, freight rate auditors, and other professional and government organizations and agencies. The results indicate a welfare trapezoid benefit of intrastate motor carrier deregulation of $2.34 billion (in 1995 dollars).

Alternative Methods for Estimating State Welfare Gains from Economic Deregulation of Intrastate Motor Freight Carriage: A Comparison of Results

Abstract Prior to the deregulation of intrastate motor carriage in 1995, several studies estimated the expected gains of deregulation predicated on the rate decreases that had occurred following interstate deregulation in 1980. One complex study used the “price” model of a multi-regional input-output model (linking forty-eight state level input-output models) to estimate Posner welfare trapezoids and Harberger welfare triangles. Herein, a much simpler model to capture the welfare effects is presented. While lacking the interdependencies of input-output, the simpler model captures the first order effects of the rate decreases. Comparing the results of the two methods yields roughly the same results ($2.5 billion/year welfare trapezoids for twenty strongly regulated states) in the aggregate. Given the simple model's ability to replicate the results of the more complex model, the simple model is then used to estimate the welfare gains using intrastate flow volumes from 1993 and from 1995 rate decrease estimates collected anecdotally from shippers, carriers, state motor freight associations, residual state regulatory agencies, rate bureaus, freight rate auditors, and other professional and government organizations and agencies. The results indicate a welfare trapezoid benefit of intrastate motor carrier deregulation of $2.34 billion (in 1995 dollars).

Public Relations on Trial

The period following World War II was one of significant growth in the consumer economy. As the demand for consumer goods grew, so did the demand for freight transportation, leading to a battle between the railroads and the trucking industry. To fight the competition, the railroads lobbied government for trucking regulations. In Pennsylvania, the truckers answered the railroads with an anti-trust lawsuit, which essentially put public relations tactics on trial. This article examines the case, Noerr Motor Freight v. Eastern Railroad Presidents Conference, from its 1956 trial through the U. S. Supreme Court's 1961 decision. This provides an opportunity to look at the ethical practice of public relations at a time when the industry was attempting to define itself and set standards for its practitioners’ conduct and illustrates the level of misunderstanding of the profession that existed on the part of at least a portion of society.

Economic Benefits of Freight Policy Relating to Trucking Industry: Evaluation of Regional Transportation Plan Freight Policy for a Six-County Region, Chicago, Illinois

The economic impact of freight transportation has been the focus of policy debate for many years. Attempts have been made to measure the benefits of freight policy. However, the overall economic impact, as reflected in increased output from efficiency improvements or generated employment, has not been evaluated effectively in long-range planning. This study attempts to quantify the economic benefits of freight policy relative to recommendations in the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for a six-county region of Chicago, Illinois. RTP projections for fuel consumption savings and shorter delays (and thus lower labor costs) were translated into output changes for the motor freight industry and, subsequently, demand changes. Using rather conservative assumptions, annual savings of $270 million were calculated as the total direct economic impact of RTP policy and project implementation on the regional motor freight and warehousing industry. Increases in output and demand for the motor freight industry were fed into an input–output model. The model found that direct, indirect, and induced impacts on the regional economy exceeded $675 million and generated nearly 7,000 jobs annually. In particular, both wholesale and retail markets were expected to increase output by almost $30 million because of freight movement efficiency improvements.