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MFW Social Posts
December 9, 2022
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HOW WELL ARE YOU “FUTURE-PROOFING,” AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
A few industry happenings to start us off today – with a few common threads:
🚛 In the last few months, Y-O-Y, trucking tonnage was + 7.4% in August, + 5.5% in September, and + 2.8% October, showing that despite the gloom and doom of some forecasts, freight volumes continue to exhibit growth. Still, shippers must prepare for a “Plan B” since a downward trend may be occurring. While predicting what might happen in 2023 seems daunting, smart shippers are looking into their respective crystal balls right at this very moment – trying to decipher what it all means.
🚛 Walmart recently promoted a 19-year veteran driver to help tackle the ongoing recruiting issues that not only plague their company, but many others, too. Increased pay, more empathetic and proactive communication channels between management and drivers, and improved training are just three of the many ways Walmart is trying to improve the employee experience for its 13,000 Class A drivers. They’ve had success, hiring 4,000 drivers in 2021 and 5,000 more this year … many hired from within.
🚛 Yellow, one of the nation’s foremost LTL companies, continues to shrink its branch count (selling 28 excess terminals) while maintaining its service coverage – becoming more productive and efficient. As part of their “One Yellow” initiative, the carrier has emphasized “maximizing shipment profitability” over growing volumes. The income realized from “right-sizing” its network has contributed to the balance sheet.
Our point:
👉 Continuous improvement is exactly that, having a consistent, proactive, formal process of “making things better.” Conversely, being reactionary could sink the ship.
As a transportation professional, you know all too well the countless factors involved within our industry, and how each can impact what you’re trying to accomplish.
And so, you have a choice: Work with freight brokers who score low on the problem-solving scale, or work with #mfw where real partnership, industry-leading responsiveness, and innovation are the status quo.
Please give us a call today and we’ll learn about your unique circumstances, and design a plan to fit your needs.