January 2021 Newsletter
Trends to Watch in 2021
Now that 2020 is in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look at what 2021 may have in store for the trucking industry. The shift in power in Washington and a new boss at the FMCSA is expected to influence the following areas:
- Speed Limiter Mandates
- Emission Regulations
- Freight and Rates
- New Highway Bills
How Will Covid-19 Effect the Trucking Industry Going into 2021?
Industry experts predict that 2021 will be a transitional year. The pandemic triggered a dramatic increase in online ordering that affected distribution patterns. In turn, carriers shifted capacity and lanes. One key question is what returns to “normal” and what changes become more permanent?
While there is solid freight demand, the forecasts for 2021 are underpinned by uncertainty such as:
- A slower recovery in the industrial sector
- Lean retail inventories
- Variability of shutdowns due to the virus
- Pace and scope of vaccination
Shippers are planning for the freight industry to normalize in the second quarter of 2021. In the meantime, the driver shortage is expected to continue and folks are hopeful that some focus is on updating the manual processes like paperwork to bring lasting improvements in efficiency to the industry.
FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Monthly Report: November 2020
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a report detailing the registrations, queries, reported violations, and drug and alcohol results from the inception of the Clearinghouse through 12/1/2020 (see below). The Clearinghouse boasts over 1.6 million users registered, over 2.9 million queries run, and over 50,000 violations reported.
