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April 3, 2017 - Transport Topics Quotes TCP Regarding Schneider Going Public Stock Sale

Steven Dutro, Managing Partner, was quoted in Transport Topics’  April 3, 2017 article “Schneider Initial Stock Sale May Spur growth in Truckload, Intermodal, Analysts Predict”

Schneider’s forthcoming initial public offering may close a chapter on the company’s long- standing family ownership, but it will expand the motor carrier’s ability to broaden its horizons, industry analysts said.

At least one industry analyst believes that Schneider’s IPO will strengthen interest in trucking among investors and could spur other companies to follow its lead.

“Schneider is a well-known and well-respected company,” said Steven Dutro of Transport Capital Partners in Windsor, Colorado. “I believe Wall Street and other financial investors will be paying attention.”

Read the full article here (Transport Topics Subscribers only).

October 15, 2016 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Quotes TCP regarding “Family May Be Driving Schneider IPO”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quotes TCP regarding “Family May Be Driving Schneider IPO”

Schneider has long been a leader in truckload, the sector of trucking in which carriers haul trailers containing a single shipment of freight between companies, said Steven Dutro, managing partner of Transport Capital Partners, a mergers and acquisitions adviser.

“Extremely well respected across the industry, so they’re well positioned both because of their size and their capabilities and their history,” he said.

And new rules such as those requiring truckers to replace paper log books with electronic recorders — something Schneider has already done — stand to benefit larger firms like the Green Bay carrier, Dutro said.

Read the full article here. 

 

February 1, 2016 - 2016 Will Be A Year of Stability for Trucking

Trucking Continues to Move Forward with Cautious Optimism

The fourth-quarter Transport Capital Partners (TCP) survey finds carriers remaining positive, despite tempered expectations, and looking toward stable growth in 2016.

Undeterred by continuing volatility around the world, the United States economy will likely continue its steady upward climb in 2016. And, as is often the case, the trucking industry presents us with an accurate mirror to movements in the economy at large.

Economic events in the 4th quarter of 2015 left expectations at their lowest levels in over 5 years. However, motor carrier executives remain optimistic that 2016 will bring solid growth for their companies.

“Expectations are lower than in recent years but are still positive for 2016. The indication is for a stable business environment and little fear of a recession,” summarizes Steven Dutro, TCP Partner.

Many, Not Most, Still Positive About Rates

At the beginning of 2015, 79% of the participants in our survey were looking forward to rate increases over the year ahead. Turning the page into 2016, that number had dwindled to 41% – the lowest percentage we have recorded since 2009.

Despite this dampened optimism, positive expectations remain strong. Forty-one percent of those surveyed still expect their freight revenue rates to rise this year.

“In this survey, and in carrier discussions with TCP, we are seeing more variation in the opinions of individual carriers than in prior years. Any further tightening, caused by a small increase in demand or driver shortages, will have a proportionally greater upward impact on spot and contract rates,” notes Richard Mikes, TCP Partner.

Carriers Most Positive About Capacity

Perhaps most telling of industry expectations for 2016 is that a strong majority – 61% of carriers – expect to expand their fleets this year.

“Growth expectations are not quite as robust as they were in 2014 and 2015. But, this number is still relatively consistent with the expectations – and the modest growth – of the past few years.” -Steven Dutro, TCP Partner

Read the full survey results here.

Contact:

Richard Mikes
Office: (239) 395-2595
[email protected]

Steven Dutro
Office: (970) 204-1492
[email protected]

The Business Expectations Survey by TCP, now in its seventh year, has given forward-looking guidance from industry leaders through both sides of the economic cycle. Mikes and Dutro both have senior-level experience advising carriers on strategic and operational issues as well as in mergers and acquisitions in the trucking industry.

About ACT Research Co., LLC

ACT Research, a contributor to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators, has been the recognized leading publisher of commercial vehicle (CV) industry data, market analysis, and forecasting services for the North American market since 1986. Their commitment to data quality & integrity; in-depth analysis; and timeliness have made their services the industry standard.

For more information, visit www.actresearch.net.

February 8, 2014 - Carriers Finding Re-Negotiation of Accessorials Challenging

TodaysTrucking.com shared TCP survey results (from the 4th Quarter BES) that show 42% of carriers expecting their customers to resist re-negotiating accessorials.

Fifty percent of smaller carriers and 38 percent of larger carriers expressed pessimistism about accessorials. However, carriers small and large were more positive about re-negotiating detention times – 43 percent expected to re-negotiate.

“Credit availability and carrier profitability go hand–in-hand, both are essential to replace aging fleet assets and to grow capacity. Carriers with stronger profitability and cash flows will find credit available and affordable and will be better positioned to gain market share,” said Steven Dutro, TCP Partner.

Full article here.

January 21, 2014 - Carriers Optimistic On Near-Term Volumes & Rates

A recent article in Commercial Carrier Journal (ccjdigital.com) references the TCP Fourth Quarter 2013 Survey to highlight carrier optimism for volume and rate growth.

Continuing the positive trends of the previous quarter, more carriers are expressing optimism for increases in volumes and rates. Since the fourth quarter of 2012, positive volume expectations have risen from 29 percent to 61 percent.

With those increasing volumes, a majority of carriers are also expecting rates to climb over the coming months. There are now close to three times as many optimistic carriers as pessimistic carriers.

“Volumes and rates continue to be more entwined as positive GDP numbers are laid on top of effective capacity brought down by the FMCSA driving hour mandates,” says Steven Dutro, TCP Partner.

Check out the full article here.

October 27, 2013 - Shippers Indifferent to CSA Scores, Carriers Focused on Safety

TruckingInfo.com echoes third quarter TCP survey results that say shippers are still largely unconcerned by carrier CSA scores. However, the use of e-logs continues to grow among carriers, and truck speeds are controlled.

Operating at posted speed limits is an essential aspect of truck and driver safety, and very important for managing fuel costs. Nearly half of carriers (46%) indicated their speed limit was set at 65 mph. Thirty-one percent indicated it was set at 63 mph.

Fifty-seven percent of carriers are now committed to using e-logs. Significantly more larger carriers than smaller carriers are committed to e-logs, 71% vs. 27%.

This may be a result of larger carriers having the necessary resources to fund, train and manage compliance and dispatch. Smaller carriers, on the other hand, continue to postpone the expense.

“Many carriers, on e-logs, tell us driver acceptance is good, HOS compliance is better, and CSA scores have improved since full implementation,” noted Steven Dutro, TCP partner.

Read more here.

October 26, 2013 - Capacity Additions Remain Moderate

Carriers are adding capacity but the growth remains conservative, says a recent article from TruckingInfo.com.

Using current TCP survey results, the article states that carriers expecting capacity additions of under 5% have increased, from 22% in February 2011 to 45% today. Carriers intending to add more capacity – i.e. 6-10% – have decreased, from 25% in February 2011 to 15% today.

In this quarter’s survey, smaller carriers were more conservative than larger carriers in their buying plans. Only 15% of smaller carriers intend to add more than 6% capacity, compared with 23% of larger carriers.

Smaller carriers are also less optimistic about volumes. It is thus unsurprising that they are less likely to add capacity. These smaller carriers may also be having a harder time finding financing for expansion than their larger competitors.

“Tight credit remains a challenge for a lot of businesses, particularly for truckers, and especially those not well positioned,” observed Steven Dutro, TCP Partner.

Full article here.

August 8, 2013 - Hiring Qualified Employees at Critical Positions Proving Difficult

A recent article from TruckingInfo.com sites data from the second quarter TCP survey showing carriers having trouble finding qualified employees and drivers.

In the survey, sixty-five percent of carriers expressed difficulty finding qualified maintenance technicians. Furthermore, 30% stated they are having problems filling operations staff and fleet manager level positions.

“Good employees, at all levels, have always been the lifeblood of the industry,” says TCP partner Richard Mikes. “Now, as we see growth in demand on the horizon, excellent human resource management is critical.”

Carriers, because of these shortages of drivers, technicians, and fleet managers, remain concerned about adding capacity at this time. Seventy-percent of larger carriers, and 50% of smaller carriers, in the survey indicated they were having trouble finding qualified technicians.

Click here to read the full article from TruckingInfo.com.

August 7, 2013 - New Fleet Investments Unlikely for Many Carriers

Recent articles from TodaysTrucking.com and TruckingInfo.com report that inadequate rates of return are keeping fleets from buying.

They share results from the second quarter TCP industry survey that show only slightly over 50 percent of carriers seeing returns on investments that can justify new equipment purchases. This figure is up just four percentage points from November 2012.

Additionally, one-third of all carriers reported having no current plans to add any new equipment. At this time, replacing aging fleets is the principle driver of most equipment investment.

“Higher equipment costs in recent years, combined with the lower utilization resulting from new HOS rules, will continue to make adequate returns on investment a challenge,” said Steven Dutro, TCP partner.

Read the complete articles here and here.

August 6, 2013 - Larger Carriers More Positive About Renegotiating Accessorials

Forty-three percent of all carriers believe they will be able to renegotiate detention pay, up significantly from the November 2012 TCP survey. This increase is most likely in response to recent changes in hours of service regulations.

However, small carriers are more pessimistic than larger carriers on accessorials. Sixty-four percent of those smaller carriers anticipate no relief in charge negotiations.

“As freight demand grows, shippers who need consistent service will need to assist carriers in gaining operational efficiency and adequate compensation. Larger carriers are more confident they are positioned to achieve this customer cooperation,” stated TCP Partner Richard Mikes.

For the full article from OverdriveOnline.com, click here.