Refrigerated Trucking Revisited

Authors

  • Richard Beilock
  • James Del Ciello

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5399/osu/jtrf.43.1.716

Abstract

Trucking is the dominant transport mode in the United States for foodstuffs, particularly those with high value and requiring controlled temperature and humidity. For example, 95% of all interstate produce shipments are by truck. To understand better this segment of the motor carrier industry, during the 1980s surveys were conducted of long-distance truckers exiting the Florida Peninsula. That work helped establish baseline data about the industry, including its structure, pricing, impacts of regulations, etc. After nearly 15 years, a similar survey was conducted in 2001-2002 of more than 1,600 drivers of long-distance refrigerated trucks. Issues addressed included: use of brokers and the Internet to arrange loads, importance of owner-operators and their ability to operate independently versus under lease to larger carriers, equipment replacement and utilization, and lumping.

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Published

2010-10-13

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Section

Articles