Focus on Logistics
By Cain Adams Trinity Logistics, LLC
Boise Office / Longboard Logistics, LLC
In a twist straight out of a feel-good holiday movie, trucking rates have been climbing faster than Santa’s sleigh with onions being delivered as presents to receivers instead of toys. While rate hikes are a perennial event as reliable as grandma’s fruitcake, this year felt different. Usually, we groan but there was an almost audible sigh of relief from the freight industry—a Christmas miracle happened.
“Every day was like unwrapping a new present”, said one seasoned trucker, marveling at lanes adding 10–20% to rates pre-Thanksgiving. Then, it happened: spot market rates passed contract rates. It was like watching Rudolph lead the sleigh. A lot of factors made this happen. You see, last week 177,000 CDLs were taken out of service for not passing drug and alcohol parameters, snow came into the mix and a massive food influx took place. Shoppers were optimistic and took to the aisles a bit early and imports are coming in at a steady pace. Reefers are Santa this time of year but there are only so many to go around and each one wants to get back to being plump and jolly.
The National Retail Federation said 183.4 million will shop over Thanksgiving weekend (through Cyber Monday) – outpacing last year’s record of 182 million. The Port of Los Angeles saw four straight months above 900,000 TEUs. (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit Containers) This has never happened. Can you say Donald Trump? This jolly fellow is putting importing countries on the naughty list with the threat of higher tariffs. Receivers are scrambling to get their orders in. Furthermore, another potential strike may happen January 15th at the ports unless the Longshoreman unions settle. It’s a wild ride in freight so hang on!
The freight world hasn’t seen this kind of excitement since pre-COVID days, when spot rates regularly reigned supreme. A cascade of pandemic-era chaos flipped the script, flooding the market with new drivers, higher interest rates, and flipping freight dynamics on their head. But after a grueling couple of years, the weaker players—brokers, carriers, and shippers—have been naturally “naughty-listed” out of the market. As 2025 approaches, the freight industry feels poised for stability and growth. This is the buzz in the industry anyway.
Adding to the holiday cheer, the election ushered in a business-friendly leader, spurring builders to dust off their blueprints and hit the ground running. With shovels clinking merrily across the land, flatbeds are already dreaming of sugar plums—or rather, heavy equipment and construction supplies. Millions of dollars are about to be spent, and jobs will be created.
For onion shippers, the holiday season has been a wild ride. Crickets one day and slammed the next. Thanksgiving rates shot up like an energy drink, catching many off-guard. Receivers scrambled or sat on the sidelines. They paid the prices to fill their floors or paid their neighbors big bucks for a few pallets to survive the holiday rush. Now, post-Thanksgiving rates are settling like a post-feast nap—still higher than early November but much more manageable. This is a good thing for all. The Thanksgiving shell shock on pricing now makes the rest of the year look like a bargain.
As we enter December, we’re letting carriers know it’s time to bring rates down a bit and keep the market healthy. We thank carriers for understanding and we thank them for loading onions to holiday tables. Every house deserves a good onion!
In the Adams household, even onions were part of the festivities. My daughters, Alivia, Josslyn, and Bia, took a crash course in onion-chopping, tears streaming as they worked. There’s no shame in crying over onions—or over what’s happening in trucking right now. We’ve been through hell and back, but 2025 looks like it’s bringing stability, growth, and opportunity for everyone.”
So, as the nation savors the lingering aroma of holiday feasts, the freight industry is raising a glass to a brighter year ahead. Cheers to family, friends, and a thriving market. After all, isn’t that what the season’s all about? Family, friends, and joy to the world!
Take Care, Cain Adams Trinity Logistics, LLC Boise Office / Longboard Logistics, LLC
