In August 2020 Convoy surveyed over 440 small and mid-sized trucking companies across the United States to collect a snapshot of sustainability in trucking. Survey participants include dispatchers for fleets and owner-operators. All the results are self reported by the participants. This report is data from over 31,787,562 miles driven in July.
2. Keyinfluences impacting trucking
Drivers exiting the industry
There has been a lot of focus on how bankruptcies are contributing
to tighter carriers supply recently, and that is certainly the case. But
there are also other reasons why drivers and carriers decide to leave
the trucking industry — for instance, they can retire or transition into
jobs in other industries. We have a few hypotheses for why we are
seeing this trend.
In general, larger carriers were more likely to receive emergency loans
— such as loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) —
or have access to financial markets. We know that some of the terms
of PPP loans favored large carriers, such as the timing of applications
and the requirement that loan recipients provide health insurance to
all employees. We also see fewer numbers of working truck drivers
as a result of this pandemic. Read more about how driver entries and
exits are shaping the market, and how important it is for carriers to
understand their operating costs in order to run efficiently here.
The disconnectbetweenWallStreetand
Main Streethas spread to the open road
As the economy sunk into a deep recession in April and May, stock
markets rallied fueling the perception of a chasm between the
financial sector and what many people were experiencing in their daily
lives. By July, the same could be said for the freight economy. Even
as unemployment hovered just shy of record highs, there was very
strong demand to move goods by truck.
Consumer spending posted another month of growth, coming on the
heels of June’s retail frenzy. Nonstore (mostly online) and grocery
sales held at high levels, respectively up around 25% and 10% year-
over-year. Sales at discretionary outlets such as garden supplies and
sporting goods stores also showed a second month of surprising
strength, while clothing stores and food service establishments
improved but are still well below pre-crisis levels.
There are important reasons to believe that consumer spending is
moderating: The hangover from June’s consumer frenzy compounded
by waning fiscal support. The reality is, we’re not seeing that in
truckload demand from the businesses that Convoy partners with
— at least not yet. It’s likely that demand has been propped up by a
wave of natural disasters during the first half of the month: A major
hurricane on the East Coast and wildfire hotspots across the West
pushed up shipments of nonperishable foods and bottled water in
Convoy’s network. Factory capacity utilization is also stabilizing as
businesses adapt to the new operating reality.
Regardless of the reasons, it increasingly feels like there’s a disconnect
between how many people feel about their economic prospects and
market conditions in some corners of the economy. Watch the full
freight market update here.
1Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
3. Sustainabilityis stillapriorityfor businesses
Despite the difficult economic climate, a majority of 139 shippers surveyed in July have environmental sustainability goals — including
about three-quarters of grocery, food and beverage shippers, nearly two-thirds of retail shippers, and just under half of industrial
shippers.
For most businesses, their investment in sustainability was unchanged in 2020-Q2. But across categories, there was a net positive
increase in sustainability investments despite the COVID-19 pandemic and associated recession. The most notable shift was among
industrial manufacturers: 42% of respondents said they increased their investment in sustainability in the quarter while none said they
reduced it. View the full study results here.
2Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
4. Carrier
Respondentsummary
In August 2020 Convoy surveyed over 442 small and mid-sized trucking companies
across the United States to collect a snapshot of sustainability in trucking. Survey
participants include dispatchers for fleets and owner-operators. All the results are self
reported by the participants. This report is data from over 31,787,562 miles driven in July.
3Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
5. RespondentBreakdown
52%
Owner/
Operator
28%
Dispatcher/
Driver
20%
Dispatcher
RespondentDemographic
13%
Female
85%
Male
2%
Prefer not
to say
SurveyHighlights
97% of drivers use a mobile app to book loads.
33% of drivers plan to buy a truck in the next year.
Purchasing plans often fail to materialize. Assuming a truck has
a lifespan of about 10-15 years, you would expect 6%-10% of
respondents to upgrade in a given year.
77% rate fuel efficiency as an important
consideration when purchasing a truck.
This percentage increased to 85% for those who are
considering purchasing a truck within the next year. 16% of
respondents believe fuel efficiency is somewhat important
when purchasing a truck, 2% rate fuel efficiency as not
important when purchasing a truck, and 7% have a neutral
opinion of the importance of fuel efficiency when purchasing a
truck.
18% of drivers have completed an eco-driving fuel
efficiency training program.
This percentage increases as the number of trucks increases.
26% of drivers with more than 26 trucks have completed an
eco-driving fuel efficiency training program in contrast to 16%
of drivers with one truck have completed an eco-driving fuel
efficiency training program.
64% of respondents identified their company as
being at least 51% owned and operated by a member
or members of one or more of a diverse supplier
group.
4Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
6. Age
18-20 years old
21-24 years old
25-34 years old
35-44 years old
45-55 years old
56+ years old
0%
2%
20%
31%
33%
15%
An aging fleet of drivers is one of the main reasons for the
driver shortage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates
that the average age of a commercial truck driver in the U.S.
is 55 years old. In our survey, 48% of survey respondents
were over 45 years old, with the majority of respondents
between 45-55 years old.
MaritalStatus
Single
Married
Divorced
Separated
Widowed
12%
79%
6%
1%
2%
5Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
8. Owner Operator
96%
percent of owner operators use a
mobile app to find loads
30%
percent of owner operators that plan
to purchase a truck within the next
year
15%
percentage of owner operators who
have completed eco-driving training
Typical run, one way:
Local
Regional
Long
Super-long
10%
41%
26%
23%
Number of truckloads
driven last month:
<10
11-20
21-50
50-100
> 100
25%
39%
28%
6%
3%
Number of trucks in their
fleet (% of owner operators)
1 truck
2-5 trucks
6-10 trucks
11-25 trucks
26-50 trucks
51+ trucks
77%
0%
20%
11%
0%
0%
Gender:
Female
Male
5%
93%
7Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
9. Dispatcher
Typical run, one way:
Local
Regional
Long
Super-long
5%
26%
43%
26%
Number of truckloads
driven last month:
<10
11-20
21-50
50-100
> 100
9%
9%
31%
23%
28%
Number of trucks in their
fleet (% of dispatchers)
1 truck
2-5 trucks
6-10 trucks
11-25 trucks
26-50 trucks
51+ trucks
14%
32%
23%
12%
9%
12%
Gender:
Female
Male
50%
48%
91%
percent of dispatchers use a mobile
app to find loads
33%
percent of dispatchers that plan to
purchase a truck within the next year
19%
percentage of dispactchers who have
completed eco-driving training
8Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
10. DispatcherAnd Driver
Typical run, one way:
Local
Regional
Long
Super-long
19%
43%
24%
15%
Number of truckloads
driven last month:
<10
11-20
21-50
50-100
> 100
13%
20%
46%
13%
7%
Number of trucks in their
fleet (% of dispatch drivers)
1 truck
2-5 trucks
6-10 trucks
11-25 trucks
26-50 trucks
51+ trucks
16%
72%
10%
2%
0%
0%
Gender:
Female
Male
2%
96%
94%
percent of dispatcher and drivers use
a mobile app to find loads
39%
percent of dispatcher and drivers that
plan to purchase a truck within the
next year
24%
percentage of dispatcher and drivers
who have completed eco-driving
training
9Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
11. Inefficiencies in network operations can cause trucks to travel empty, use longer or more
congested routes, and idle unnecessarily. These inefficiencies increase fuel consumption
and fuel costs. Every driver thinks about fuel because it’s the top vehicle related expense.
77% of survey respondents rate fuel efficiency as an important consideration when
purchasing a truck. This percentage increases to 85% when the respondent is considering
purchasing a truck within the next year.
Inefficient truck routing and loading and unloading practices also contribute to wasteful
fuel consumption. Convoy research shows that 35% of truck miles may be empty miles.
In this survey, the regional distance (100-400 miles) represents the biggest share of
loads for both the Owner Operators and the Dispatcher and Driver groups, 41% and
43% respectively. It is also this distance that drivers drive empty the most. A carrier that
optimizes its freight logistics can save fuel, save time, and improve productivity, generating
fuel cost savings and additional revenue.
Innovations such as Green Appointment Windows allow trucks to optimize their
schedules, travel at off-peak times, and avoid traffic congestion. With more flexibility to
deliver and pick up loads, trucking companies can decrease idling, minimize time spent
loading and unloading, and use their hours and equipment to haul more freight and
generate revenue.
Trimming just 1% of empty miles from one long-haul truck can save over 100
gallons of fuel.
Convoy’s machine
learning and
technology is based
on optimization
models to provide
more efficient
routing solutions
than traditional
dispatchers can
achieve on their
own. Our technology
allows routes to
be constructed
taking into
account numerous
dynamic factors
that include driver
hours-of-service
rules, pickup and
delivery schedules,
equipment
availability, and
empty mileage.
Sustainabilityis good for truck
driversand the environment
10Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
12. Top tip for reducing emptymiles
Empty miles are high on the list of biggest annoyances for both
transportation teams and truck drivers. A full truck is a lucrative
one—and when your truck isn’t full, you’re not generating revenue.
Driving empty miles also contributes to wear and tear on your
truck and adds additional greenhouse gases into the environment.
Experienced drivers know how to avoid driving empty. These are
tips and tricks provided by respondents to avoiding driving empty
miles.
in order Of Popularity:
1. Plan ahead - “Booking multiple loads at one time” “Schedule
loads a day prior but only after the truck is loaded and en
route to the next stop.”
2. Book ahead - “Don’t wait until same day to book a load”
3. Location - “Delivery in city with high demand of freight”
4. Reduce deadhead
5. Book round trips
6. Closer loads - “Look within 50 mile radius”
“Flexible Appointment times
help booking the right load”
“Be smart and go to area with
good paying reloads”
“Choosing to drive back
empty is based off your
operation it may work
perfect for some and bad for
someone else”
“Get dispatched on the
closest load”
“Pre-plan and find a massive
broker load board to have
consistent work and not
waiting around or driving
empty”
11
13. Increasing diversityin trucking
A handful of socially conscious major businesses have long played a role in addressing racial injustice through supplier diversity
programs that promote an inclusive approach to procurement. As the spotlight on systemic racism roils the United States, these
programs are more important than ever, yet too few businesses have them and many of those who do have allowed their diversity
initiatives to become token gestures. In our survey, 64% of respondents identified their company as being at least 51% owned and
operated by a member or members of one or more of a diverse group.
20%
African
American
10%
Asian-Indian
American
6%
Asian-Pacific
American
27%
Hispanic
American
6%
Native
American
19%
Women-owned
Business
3%
LGBTQIA+
4%
Person with a
disablity
4%
Veteran or Service
Disabled Veteran
*Note: Respondents can identify as members of multiple groups
12Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
14. An inclusive procurement strategy widens the pool of potential suppliers and
promotes competition in the supply base, which can improve product quality
and drive down costs. And by providing more sourcing options, inclusiveness
can make supply chains more resilient and agile — an increasingly important
advantage in these uncertain times.
Convoy launched a supplier diversity program early in 2020 to match diverse
trucking companies to businesses investing in diversifying their supply chain.
“As a small business owner, I look for
every opportunity to access freight.
When Convoy reached out about
their supplier diversity program, I was
astounded that there was a certification
that could grant me exclusive access to
their freight. As a female veteran, this
program has the potential to help my
company earn more with less hassle.”
Charmaria Gurley,
Owner of Gurley All Freight
Carriers can learn more about supplier diversity here.
What is Supplier
Diversity?
A diverse supplier is a business that
is at least 51% owned and operated
by an individual or group that is part
of a traditionally underrepresented
or underserved group. Common
classifications are small-business
enterprises (SBEs), minority-owned
enterprises (MBEs), and woman-
owned enterprises (WBEs). Over time,
the definition of diversity has expanded
to businesses owned by other minority
groups such as LGBQT, veterans, and
proprietors with disabilities.
The history of supplier diversity in the
United States is firmly rooted in the
civil rights movement of the 1950s and
1960s. Following race riots in Detroit
in 1968, General Motors set up what
is regarded as one of the first supplier
diversity programs, and much of the
American auto industry followed
suit. Early movers in the electronics
industry such as IBM established
supplier diversity programs around the
same time. Later, Public Law 95-507
established a program to encourage
government contractors to include
minority-owned businesses in their
supply chains.
Businesses can email
supplierdiversity@convoy.com to
learn about Convoy’s supplier diversity
program.
Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
15. Appendix
Howwe surveyed
Convoy invited carriers to participate in our survey to look at a
snapshot of their operations and perceptions. During August 2020
we received responses from over 440 trucking companies, including
dispatchers, owner operators, and drivers.
14Trucking Snapshot Report | Sustainability Q3 2020
16. AboutConvoy
Convoy is a tech-enabled trucking network transforming the $800B trucking industry and
logistics ecosystem for truck drivers and shippers.
Using technology, Convoy matches reliable trucks with companies that need to ship freight. With Convoy, carriers get access to free
tools and resources that allow them to find loads they want, save time, drive fewer miles empty, and get paid quickly. Shippers use
Convoy’s data-driven insights and industry-leading service levels to improve their supply chain operations and lower costs.
Learn moreatwww.convoy.com