TORONTO – Following last month’s robust load volumes, TransCore Link Logistics’ Canadian and cross-border loads expectedly subdued in April, down 19 percent over March. The dip follows an April trend first observed in 2011. However, April’s load volumes were markedly higher year-over-year, up 42 percent compared to the same month last year and the highest ever recorded for any April in any year.
Intra-Canada loads accounted for 26 percent of the total volumes and amounted to a 38 percent increase year-over-year.
Cross-border load postings represented 71 percent of the data submitted by Loadlink users:
- Loads leaving Canada to the United States increased 64 percent year-over-year, and
- Loads entering Canada increased 36 percent year-over-year.
Equipment Performance
Equipment postings continued its upward trend since February 2018, rising 16 percent compared to March 2018, but down seven percent compared to April of 2017.
Truck-to-Load Ratio
April saw supply catch up to demand as truck volumes increased substantially to surpass load volumes for the first time since December 2017. This increase offers a positive sign, indicating that more carriers are available to move loads.
A month-over-month rise in truck volume of 16 percent matched with a dip in load volumes drove the truck-to-load ratio up to a more reasonable 1.32 trucks for every one available load posted on Loadlink. Compared to the previous month, the rate was 0.92, and year-over-year, the ratio tightened from 2.01 in April 2017.
About TransCore Indexes
Truckload spot rates in specific areas can be accessed from TransCore’s Rate Index truckload rating tool Real-time and historical data on total truck and load volumes, as well as ratios in specific areas, can be accessed from TransCore’s Posting Index.
TransCore’s Canadian Freight Index accurately measures trends in the truckload freight spot market. The components of the Freight Index are comprised from roughly 5,600 of Canada’s trucking companies and freight brokers. This data includes all domestic, cross-border, and interstate data submitted by Loadlink customers.
About TransCore Link Logistics
Looking for a better way to match available freight loads with trucks, TransCore Link Logistics developed Loadlink in 1990. Loadlink is a load board connecting brokers, carriers, owner operators and private fleets in Canada to a real-time database of 15 million loads, shipments, and trucks – the largest in the industry.
The monthly Canadian Freight Index now defines the freight movement spot market. The company also provides its customers with dispatch solutions, ACE/ACI eManifest, Posting Index, Rate Index, credit solutions, factoring, online transportation job board, mileage software, and more.
More information on TransCore Link Logistics can be found at www.transcore.ca, @loadlink on Twitter, on YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.