Industry experts continue to predict that truck capacity will tighten. This is due in large part to economic growth combined with industry-specific regulations like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new program, new rules, and .
CSA
CSA is being rolled out in an effort to improve safety over the FMCSA SafeStat program. The expected trade-off will result in a significant reduction in capacity. CSA will purge bad commercial drivers from the industry, resulting in improved screening processes for new drivers, and closer monitoring of existing drivers’ performance. Carriers who continue to hire or retain “un-fit” drivers will face litigation exposure for negligent hiring/retention. CSA could potentially force seven to 10 percent of the existing driver workforce out of the industry, as many drivers will no longer qualify to operate commercial trucks.
Increasing Freight Volumes
Freight volumes are continuing to grow as the economy rebounds. Manufacturing is the prime driver for freight growth, and manufacturing output has grown at its fastest pace in seven years, according to the Institute for Supply Management. With Gross Domestic Product expected to grow by 3.3 percent this year and slightly more in 2012, the impact will continue to increase freight volumes, creating the need for more capacity.
Escalating Fuel Costs
The latest industry predictions for diesel fuel is expected to average $3.81 a gallon this year, and by 2012, the average fuel cost will be $3.82, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Many shippers developed budgets based on out-of-date information. What was factual information in 2010 didn’t hold true in January. First of the year predictions had fuel at $3.23 per gallon.
Small fleets, which provide a substantial percentage of truck capacity, are more vulnerable to increased fuel prices than the larger fleets. Historically, as fuel prices rise, there has been an increase in carrier failures.
HOS
Anticipated changes to HOS rulemaking will impact the daily drive time and drivers’ restart. Driver time is expected to be reduced from 11 to 10 hours, which equates to a nine percent reduction in drive time. The change would require 150,000 more trucks to move the same amount of freight. Additional changes to HOS rulemaking will have an impact on truck utilization and capacity.
For more information on truck capacity and how Penske can help, contact your local representative, or visit .
By Kathleen Walter
and Penske Logistics have been steadily growing and cultivating relationships with minority-owned and women-owned businesses for well over a decade. The effort is a part of an ongoing initiative to promote diversity and inclusion at 
“We are always looking for reputable, high-quality diverse suppliers, and we encourage anyone interested in doing business with us to contact us,” Lightner added, photo on right. “Our supplier diversity efforts not only reinforce our 
Millions of Americans take on the task of moving every year, whether it’s for a job opportunity, to be closer to family, or to simply try out living in a new place. Whatever the reason for your move, you can make the task more pleasant by and taking advantage of resources designed to make moving easier.
* Pack smart. Load the heaviest items on the truck first. When you’ve got a sturdy base of the heaviest items, you can start stacking on top. This is when it’s handy to have a list on the outside of the box, detailing its contents. If you have friends and family helping you, they’ll know not to set books on top of your china.
Consider it a positive that Debra Luna can sometimes be impulsive.
Debra and Greg were married in October 2010 in Bellport, N.Y. Guests were treated to what the Lunas refer to as “Penske Punch” -- a yellow and blue cocktail.
Moving can feel overwhelming at times. To alleviate some stress, you could hire dedicated workers to help you move. You can hire to help with packing, loading, unloading and even driving.
If you choose to enlist the help of moving labor, it is best to make arrangements at least two weeks in advance. Here are some questions to ask potential moving labor companies:
As indicated in a blog post earlier this week, the company is bullish on hiring in 2011, with company recruiters attending U.S. technical school and U.S. college employment fairs.
In an effort to hire truck rental sales representatives, logistics associates and other positions at Penske locations nationally, recruiters are also attending job fairs at several well-known colleges.
A key but perhaps overlooked component of adapting to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated 2010 emission technology requirements for commercial trucks is the effective use of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to support Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology.
DEF is vital to the operation of 2010 trucks utilizing SCR technology. It works to greatly reduce Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). Less NOx translates to a truck’s exhaust being cleaner and less harmful to the environment.
Manpower recently issued its quarterly Employment Outlook Survey and it reported the most optimistic hiring expectations in more than two years. According to , U.S. employers anticipate small staffing gains for Q1 2011. Their outlook for Q1 2011 is +9 percent, up from +5 percent during the same period last year and +5 percent during Q4 2010.
Reading, Pa., headquartered and Penske Logistics have an upbeat outlook on 2011 hiring citing improving business conditions within their North American operations.
Penske Truck Leasing and Penske Logistics have needs for a variety of positions ranging from experienced 
While the trucking and logistics sectors continue to spring back from the Great Freight Recession it looks like a diesel price déjà vu scenario may be developing. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration on-highway and some trucking industry experts expect the fuel prices to stay that way. 
While rising diesel prices are a sign the freight sector is improving higher fuel costs still remain an operating challenge for businesses operating truck fleets large and small.
helps fleet owners and fleet managers with programs that can help with improving such as: