2022 Thanksgiving Supply Chain Update

TLI's Weekly State of Transportation Update

Happy Holiday!

Thanksgiving is here and carriers will be operating on limited operations and holiday schedules. Our company will be closed on Thursday and running with limited staff on Friday. Make sure to let TLI employees know of any holiday hours and fully communicate any holiday requests! Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday – from our team to your team / family.

Diesel Supply

There is a lot of speculation floating of a diesel supply shortage. While there will be supply, the supply is at an all-time low causing prices to raise. This shortage is due to surge in demand along with global issues. In terms of the trucking industry, it appears that linehaul rates dropping may help rates chop sideways as fuel continues increasing. 

Rail Strike

In mid September, a deal was proposed from the White House to avoid a rail strike. On Monday, a major labor union rejected the tentative deal setting up for a new deal deadline of December 8. Any disruption to the rail industry would be substantial to the supply chains’ OTR trucking demand and is worth keeping an eye on.

Truckload Market

As we head into a holiday week, capacity is always predicted to tighten up due to carriers taking time off for the holidays and shippers pushing freight out. Last week, spot load posts rose 9.2% while truck posts rose 4.1% showcasing that loads out-posted trucks last week. 

Less-Than-Truckload

Our team has noticed carriers becoming less selective on freight as volumes trend downward. In the past two years, carriers were more inclined to skip on unattractive freight as their networks were full. However, if the freight helps fill out a specific lane, they will be more open to accepting the freight. They are still focusing on dock-to-dock operations as preference.

LTL carriers are continually working through capacity issues on a terminal, shipment, and day-to-day basis. Weekly updates/directions are given by carriers to help alleviate their terminal which may include: freight embargos, dimension/quantity restrictions, and transit delays. TLI is actively monitoring these situations and will update any affected customer with solutions.