Flatbed Capacity Most Affected by ELDs

Published by freightwaves.com, May 18, 2018 —

As the trucking industry continues to broadly install and learn to use the ELDs required by the FMCSA, there are beginning to be some disparities in the way the devices are impacting capacity via mode, reports the online freight market publication Freightwaves.

Not surprisingly, carrier size is a factor in ELD adoption, with smaller carriers struggling more than larger carriers, but equipment type is proving to be a larger challenge than carrier size:

Truckers that are pulling dry van trailers still face challenges as they learn to re-optimize asset utilization but they are proving to be the most successful of all the truckload modes. Reefers face larger challenges, while flatbed carriers, who cannot take advantage of ‘drop and hook’ solutions that are relatively easier for dry van, are arguably dealing with the biggest challenges.