2023 felt like it flew by; in the world of flatbed trucking, there were a lot of changes and challenges that companies had to face. Between the inconsistencies of fuel pricing, driver shortages, freight recessions, and inflation battle, the last year has provided a lot to overcome.
With the past year the industry has had, you must think, “What at the trucking industry trends for 2024?”.
We are here to answer that question!
Below is an overview of some of the trucking industry trends to expect for the next year and what you can look forward to from us as a company.
Driver Recruitment Challenges
Unfortunately, the troubles with driver recruitment from this previous year trucking industry trends will carry into the new year.
The American Trucking Association projected a shortage of over 60,000 drivers. And what’s worse, those projections have inceased to 80,000 drivers for the year 2024.!
While these numbers are just projections, a lot of companies are feeling the pressure as fleet demands grow, but they need the drivers to meet these needs.
So prepare for driver “recession” as an overwhelming theme this year.
Electronification and Sustainability Goals
The freight industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. This is because the trucking industry contributes around 11% of the global greenhouse gas emissions yearly.
Last year, the new EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations also pressured truckers to be more eco-friendly as part of the clean trucks plan.
There are various things fleets can do to remain sustainable or increase their sustainability as a company. We will list some of these ways below:
- Optimizing delivery routes.
- Routing trucks through more freight terminals to stop congestion.
- Adopting 5G and IoT will help individual trucking companies reduce emissions and operate more efficiently while assisting the broader coordination industry in becoming more sustainable and transparent.
Electronic trucks were a big topic of 2023, as an astounding 10,265 electric trucks were on the roads over the past year.
In fact, well over 300 companies have added electric vehicles to their fleets since 2020. And that is a trend that will stay in the industry for years to come.
How our Eagle Tarping System helps you navigate 2024 Trucking Industry Trends and Challenges
When we were designing the Eagle Tarping system, the driver was always in mind.
That said, our tarping systems have features and benefits that make the driver’s job easier and safer.
Here are just some of the ways the Eagle Tarping System helps with driver retention:
- Can fully operate from the ground – our system allows the driver to open and close the tarp system safely with their feet never leaving the ground
- Tallest Headboard Door in the industry – Our 6’6” man-door ensure your drive safe access when entering the trailer from the front
- Far easier and safer than traditional tarp – eliminates drivers having to work from unsafe heights, lug 100+ pound tarps
What to look forward to in 2024 from Verduyn Tarps
We want to say thank you for supporting our business and being incredible customers; we would not trade you for anything. So we want to give you a sneak peek at what to expect from us in the new year.
It will be a busy year for us as we are very excited to be attending three tradeshows in the year 2024!
We participated at the Landscape Congress Tradeshow in January, and we will be participating in both the National Heavy Equipment Show + Truck World of this year.
Want to attend for free? Click on the links below and use our codes to register:
Truck World Truck World 2024 – Login – CONEXSYS Registration (myconexsys.com) Code: VERDUYN
National Heavy Equipment Show National Heavy Equipment Show | April 11 – 12, 2024 | Mississauga, Ontario (nhes.ca) Code: NHES 183
We are here to help
The first half of 2024 is predicted to be quite a challenge for drivers and operators alike. We will continue to do all we can to assist truckers with their needs at Verduyn Tarps, the one stop shop for all things trucking.
Contact us with any questions you may have!
References:
Electric truck deployments by U.S. companies grew five times in 2023 | Energy Central
Freight Transportation | MIT Climate Portal
