This report is drawn from the loads our own desk booked over the last four quarters, alongside public rate indices. It describes what we see across our book, not the whole market, and we would rather say that plainly than present it as something broader.
What we observe
- Spot rates remain sensitive to fuel movement, so a percentage-of-gross fee, which falls when gross falls, shares the downside with the carrier in soft weeks.
- Detention time is rising at large distribution facilities, which makes documented claims a bigger share of recoverable revenue than they were.
- Box truck and hotshot demand holds up better than semi freight in softer weeks, which matters for mixed fleets deciding what to run.
- Broker payment terms are lengthening, so same-day invoicing and factoring discipline have a larger effect on working capital.
The habits that protect margin
- Book the next load before the current one delivers. Deadhead is the largest controllable cost in a soft market.
- File detention every single time it qualifies. Unclaimed waiting time is the most commonly abandoned revenue we see.
- Invoice the day of delivery with the complete paperwork pack, because incomplete submissions are the main cause of ageing.
- Check broker credit before accepting, not after chasing.
- Review lane performance monthly and drop lanes that only look good on gross.
What this means for fee structure
In a softening market a flat weekly fee becomes riskier for the carrier, because it does not fall when gross falls. A percentage model shares the downside. In a strong market the reverse is true. Carriers with predictable volume usually prefer flat; carriers with seasonal swings usually prefer percentage.
Figures in this report describe our own book of business. They are not a market-wide index and should not be used as one.
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