Chapter 3 Truck Fleet and Operations
CHAPTER 3 TRUCK FLEET AND OPERATIONS INTRODUCTION The Nation's truck fleet characteristics and operations are highly varied as trucking evolves within a dynamic environment that includes multi jurisdictional TS&W regulations, safety regulations, freight characteristics, shipper and customer needs, economic forces, international trade, and truck and trailer manufacturer innovation. The truck fleet and use are described in the following sections: (1) trucking industry structure, (2) equipment characteristics, (3) relationship between TS&W policy and truck characteristics, and (4) trucking operations (truck flows, commodity case studies, cross-border trucking, and container use). TRUCKING INDUSTRY STRUCTURE As trucking serves many different markets, it has become highly segmented in order to respond efficiently to these markets. Broadly, the industry may be divided into either private or for-hire carriers. In the for-hire sector, two types of services are provided: truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL). Additionally, TL and LTL services can be segmented into either short haul or long haul. PRIVATE VERSUS FOR-HIRE CARRIERS Many private businesses have internalized all aspects of their logistics including owning and operating their own truck fleet. Common examples of private carriers include grocery stores, retail chains, and food processing companies. Information on the operations of private carriers is limited, partially because these carriers traditionally have been less subject to government reporting requirements. Table III-1 indicates that private carrier operations constitute a large share of trucking in the Nation. III-1 Table III-1 Private Carrier Profile - 1993 TONNAGE AND VALUE OF SHIPMENTS • Private carriers handled approximately 3.56 billion tons of the total 6.5 billion tons (55 percent) handled by the trucking industry.
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