The Weekly Report brings you updates on the most important driver recruiting metrics each and every week. In addition to updated click, search, and rate data we cover a new story of the week. This week’s story – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s national brake safety week is this week. So, be prepared for truck and driver availability to dip in response.
New episodes of the Weekly Report premiere every Wednesday at 10 AM CT on our YouTube channel and blog page.
We provide the Weekly Report in numerous formats every week. Which one is right for you? Watch the latest reports on our Recruiting Resources or YouTube pages, use our Numbers at a Glance section for quick visual references, download the Weekly Report PDF (available below), read the transcript, or listen to the audio version of the August 25, 2021, Weekly Report below.
Numbers At A Glance – August 25, 2021
[one_half]
Truck Driver Searches |
| WoW: ∇ Down 7% |
|---|
| MoM: Δ Up 38% |
| YoY: Δ Up 16% |
Load Volume |
| WoW: Δ Up 3% |
|---|
Volume by Segment |
| WoW: Dry Van Δ Up 2% |
|---|
| WoW: Refrigerated Δ Up 5% |
| WoW: Flatbed Δ Up 4% |
Spot Rates |
| WoW: ∇ Down <1¢ per mile |
|---|
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
Clicks On Driver Postings |
| WoW: ∇ Down 4% |
|---|
| MoM: ∇ Down 14% |
| YoY: ∇ Down 5% |
Truck Postings |
| WoW: ∇ Down 2% |
|---|
Truck Posting by Segment |
| WoW: Dry Van ∇ Down 7% |
|---|
| WoW: Refrigerated ≡ Flat |
| WoW: Flatbed ∇ Down 2% |
Rates by Segment |
| WoW: Dry Van Δ Up 3¢ per mile |
|---|
| WoW: Refrigerated Δ Up 5¢ per mile |
| WoW: Flatbed ∇ Down 4¢ per mile |
[/one_half_last]
[box]
August 25, 2021, Driver Recruiting Insights
Would you like to have your own copy of the trucking industry data? All of the information covered in this week’s report for August 25, 2021, is available for your convenience in PDF form below.
Click the image to download the August 25, 2021, Driver Recruiting Insights PDF.
[/box]
Weekly Report – August 25, 2021 Transcript
It’s Wednesday, August 25, 2021. Which means it’s time for the Weekly Report. For Randall-Reilly, I’m Joshua Miller. Here we go.
THIS WEEK IN JOB BOARD SEARCHES AND CLICKS
Truck driver searches were down 7% WoW, up 38% MoM, and up 16% YoY. Clicks were down across the board with declines of 4% WoW, 14% MoM, and 5% YoY.
Searches for truck driver jobs dipped from last week’s record high as clicks fell for all major driver types except for team driver positions.
THIS WEEK IN FREIGHT
Load postings rose by 3% WoW with all three major segments seeing increases. Dry van was up by 2%, refrigerated rose by 5%, and flatbed was up 4% WoW.
Truck availability was down 2% WoW, with declines of 7% for dry van and 2% for flatbed, while refrigerated availability remained flat. This all comes as the load-to-truck ratio increased to its highest level since late July, and the refrigerated load-to-truck ratio reached its second-highest level ever.
Spot rates declined by a little less than 1¢ per mile WoW. Dry van rates were up 3¢, refrigerated was up 5¢, and flatbed rates fell by 4¢ WoW.
Except for a big jump in week 29, overall, the spot market has seen decreases or modest gains since the month of June. But … even with that being the case the market is keeping pace with seasonal expectations.
For the most part, flatbed has been a driving factor in that easing volume. Dry van has remained mostly flat, while refrigerated has been rising, especially in the past few weeks. But even with flatbed declining, all the numbers seem to match up with the seasonal expectations for the most part, and nothing we’ve seen in the latest data seems to suggest that the virus’s recent resurgence is hurting freight volume.
STORY OF THE WEEK
Brace yourselves. Brake Safety Week is here. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Break Safety Week is this week. We typically see a lot of drivers just take some time off and avoid the added hassle of the safety week altogether. With fewer drivers more loads get pushed to the spot market, and to compensate for the high demand and lower supply of drivers and trucks, rates typically rise this week as a result.
And while brake safety week is national, you can expect states with the highest brake violations during normal vehicle inspections to see even more this week. The handy map on the screen there highlights which states that are likely to see a jump in the number of violations.
Now you may be asking yourself, “what does any of this have to do with me, and my driver recruiting?” Well … this week is likely going to be a tough one and highly frustrating to the drivers who actually chose to stay on the road and work through it. They are likely going to be facing longer wait times and fewer miles. Keep that in mind when you or your team is dealing with a driver.
With the safety week upon us, it’s also the perfect time to mention your fleet’s safety record when dealing with drivers. It’s always important, but on a week such as this, it will be top of mind for most drivers out there. Another topic to hit with drivers is your equipment. Air disc brake systems have a lower violation rate than traditional drum brake systems.
So, if you have air disc brakes … bring it up! Emphasize the equipment your fleet provides and point out that they have a better record when it comes to those violations. Drivers factor a lot of things in when considering a new fleet, including equipment. Knowing your fleet provides the best possible systems that can help them avoid being flagged and kept off the road, could be a big advantage.
And that’s it for this report. Check back with us next Wednesday morning for an all-new report with the latest stats, which will of course cover what happened this week during the nationwide brake safety event. We’ll also cover a new story of the week. As always, you’ll be able to find that report on our blog page and our YouTube channel. I’ll also put out the links on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn social media pages when it becomes available. So, if you haven’t already, follow us so you get all the latest info. Until next week, have a great week everybody.
