Your most important decisions deserve the most qualified advisors.

News

February 5, 2013 - Natural gas engines starting to catch fire in the truck-fleet market

Natural gas engines, both compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are gaining traction with carriers who are interested in “going green” and spending less on fuel. A recent article by Fleet Owner cites the findings from the 2012 survey on natural gas engines conducted by TCP and ACT Research. Over half of the carriers surveyed are considering at least some natural gas engines in their next purchase.  The article goes on to discuss many of the truck makers and engine builders who are meeting the demand for natural gas.

Want to learn more about the growing trend of natural gas engines? Click here to read the full article.

 

January 16, 2013 - Carriers Uncertain About Year Ahead

As Washington continues to muddle through the fiscal crisis, carriers are unsure about how government policies might affect them in 2013. The latest Business Expectations Survey from Transport Capital Partners shows that 45% of carriers believe that volumes will remain flat, whereas 44% believe rates will increase and 46% predict that rates will stay the same.

TCP Partner Richard Mikes notes that “continued high fuel costs, inadequate fuel surcharges, and some shippers not recognizing the impact of delays on schedules with constricted hours-of-service rules will force and increase in distressed situations.”

Read the full article at TruckingInfo.com.

September 10, 2012 - Survey: Half of Carriers Consider Switch to Natural Gas

In a survey by Transport Capital Partners and ACT Research, over 50% of carriers report considering buying natural gas vehicles. TCP Partner Richard Mikes notes significant savings at the pump. Read the full article here.

July 10, 2008 - Fuel Prices Climb Higher

Transport Capital Partners released an analysis and results of their most recent fuel survey. View the full article with results.

May 28, 2008 - Impact of Fuel Prices on Supply Chains

On Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Lana Batts had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion sponsored by Stifel Nicolaus on the “Impact of Fuel Prices on Supply Chains.” Lana was joined by Dr. “Chip” White of Georgia Tech, Tom Jones of Ryder Systems, and Terry Matthews of J.B. Hunt. Download the pdf from the panel discussion to read key points on how rapidly rising fuel prices are changing distribution patterns.

April 14, 2008 - Rising Fuel Costs Present a Challenge

Transport Topics quoted Lana Batts in a lead article on rising fuel costs, entitled “Fleets Seek Fuel Savings.” She noted that that the difference between the miles that carriers actually consume fuel is quite different from what is published in the commercial miles guides.

April 1, 2008 - Editorial: Fuel Surcharges Not a Significant Source of Income

DC Velocity, a leading publication for Distribution Management, published a letter to the editor in its April issue from Lana Batts concerning raising fuel prices. Lana strongly objected to an editorial which claimed that carriers were making money off their fuel surcharges. She noted that carriers only cover about 75 to 80 percent of their gallons with their surcharges because of (1) the differences in billed miles versus actual; (2) empty and out of route miles, (3) refrigeration unit fuels, (4) congestion, and (5) idling.

October 9, 2007 - Batts Addresses Nebraska Motor Carriers Association

Lana Batts spoke at the annual meeting of the Nebraska Motor Carriers Association in Lincoln, NE on the shifting sands of the trucking industry. She noted that many new realities faced the trucking industry that needed to be factored into the operations of any company, including high fuel prices a fact of life, driver shortages are not going to go away, and that congestion will continue to impact the ability of a carrier to guarantee on-time deliveries.

August 13, 2007 - Batts Speaks at PeopleNet Users Conference

Lana Batts spoke at the PeopleNet Users Conference on “What the Future Holds for Trucking,” in Hilton Head, SC. She addressed certain factors that are now a given, such as high, volatile fuel prices, chronic driver retention issues, and highway congestion. She also pointed out positive factors affecting the industry such as increased freight volumes, improved trucks, and new markets.