2019年50大陆运卡车公司: 卓越的执行力赢得胜利

In the trucking world it’s called “blocking and tackling,” or executing the basics of the business as well as possible at all times and in all conditions. While this sounds easy in theory, it’s extremely difficult in real-world conditions.

在卡车运输领域，它被称为“阻塞和处理” ，或者在任何时候、任何情况下尽可能好地执行业务的基本操作。 虽然这在理论上听起来很容易，但在现实生活中却极其困难。

Truckers consistently face peaks and valleys in demand, equipment, driver availability, rules and regulations and thousands of other small details—the reason that hundreds of trucking companies have ceased operations since economic deregulation in 1980.

卡车司机在需求、设备、司机可用性、规章制度以及成千上万的其他细节方面一直面临着高峰和低谷，这就是自1980年经济放松管制以来，数百家卡车运输公司停止运营的原因。

Logistics Management’s (LM) annual listing of the Top 25 less-than-truckload (LTL) and Top 25 truckload (TL) carriers are the exceptions. In fact, our Top 50 is an annual compilation of the carriers with the top management, best vision, continued operational excellence and, perhaps most importantly, the best blocking and tackling on the front lines of execution.

物流管理公司(LM)每年列出的前25家零担运输商(LTL)和前25家整车(TL)的承运商是例外。 事实上，我们的50强是一年一度的运营商汇编，它们拥有最高管理层，最好的视野，持续的 Operational excellence，也许最重要的是，最好的拦截和处理在执行的第一线。

Landstar 总裁兼首席执行官吉姆•加托尼(Jim gattoli)表示: “我关注大公司，如果有人提出了我们没有的更好的捕鼠器，我们就会照搬。”。 2019年，Landstar 的卡车载货收入达到20.57亿美元，在 TL 运营商中排名第五。 “但大多数情况下，每个人都在使用同样的工具，无论是管理、战略还是运营。 因此，我认为他们不会做任何我们没有做或计划做的事情。”

 

Analysts agree. They say that while trucking appears to be a simple business—pick it up, deliver, don’t break it, get paid—it’s amazing how few carriers actually perform those basics consistently well over time to earn ranking in the LM Top 50.

分析人士对此表示赞同。 他们表示，虽然整车似乎是一项简单的业务——提货、送货、不拆分、获得报酬——但令人惊讶的是，几乎没有哪家运营商能长期稳定地完成这些基本业务，并在 LM Top 50中获得排名。

“While it’s not rocket science, there are essential basics that some carriers often lose sight of,” says Satish Jindel, principal of trucking analyst firm SJ Consulting. Indeed, mastering those basics is essential because of trucking’s high fixed costs. Equipment and labor account for about 70% of a typical trucking company’s costs—and that’s even a higher percentage for LTL carriers because of their hub-and-spoke terminal networks.

“虽然这不是制造火箭的复杂科学，但有些运输公司常常忽视了一些基本的要素，”货运分析公司 SJ Consulting 的负责人萨蒂什 · 金德尔(Satish Jindel)说。 事实上，掌握这些基本知识是必不可少的，因为卡车运输的固定成本很高。 一家典型的卡车运输公司的成本中，设备和劳动力约占70% 。由于其中枢辐射式终端网络，这一比例甚至高于 LTL 运输公司。

“With such a high level of fixed costs, you must have a very well-oiled operational machine,” explains Jindel. “Old Dominion, Saia, XPO, for example, all get full productivity from their people. That’s the No. 1 element.”

“由于固定成本如此之高，你必须拥有一台运转良好的操作机器，”金德尔解释道。 “例如，Old Dominion、Saia、 XPO，都能从他们的员工那里获得充分的生产力。 这是第一要素。”

The other key is correctly pricing for freight services—including accessorials such as inside deliveries to retail stores, specialized equipment and weekend or night services. The best carriers manage their freight volumes to their equipment and personnel and get paid for doing it.

另一个关键是货运服务的正确定价ーー包括零售店内送货、专用设备和周末或夜间服务等附属服务。 最好的承运人管理他们的设备和人员的货运量，并因此获得报酬。

That explains why a carrier such as Old Dominion Freight Line can routinely post operating ratios in the low 80s—and once in awhile even in the 70s—while enjoying double-digit revenue growth rates at the same time.

这就解释了为什么像Old Dominion Freight Line这样的运输公司，通常会将运营比率维持在80% 以下，甚至偶尔也会维持在70% 以上，同时还能享受两位数的收入增长率。

So what else makes the Top 50 stand out from the rest? Sometimes it’s merely performing the basics better than their competition. Other times, it’s precisely managing capacity to take advantage of the best lanes of freight in the marketplace. Or it can be that precisely blending operational excellence with a stable and visionary executive team. Let’s look at what’s keeping the top carriers on top.

那么，还有什么能让前50名脱颖而出呢？ 有时候，它仅仅是比他们的竞争对手表现得更好一些。 其他时候，则是精确地管理运力，以利用市场上最好的货运通道。 或者可以是一个稳定而富有远见的管理团队精确地融合了 Operational excellence。 让我们来看看是什么让顶级运营商保持领先地位。

According to Darren Hawkins, president and CEO of YRC Worldwide, parent of the 4th- and 7th-largest LTL carriers, says that the best carriers are the ones who “obsess” over customer service in delivering on-time nearly all the time.

Yrc Worldwide 总裁兼首席执行官达伦•霍金斯(Darren Hawkins)表示，最好的运营商是那些几乎一直“痴迷”按时交付客户服务的运营商。 YRC Worldwide 是第四大和第七大 LTL 运营商的母公司。

Other top carrier executives say that rather than fighting headwinds in the industry, it’s better to go with the flow and simply deliver based on the ever-shifting customer needs. “Rather than push back against changes occurring in the modern supply chain, we choose to evolve,” says Phil Pierce, Averitt’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. Averitt ranks 12th in this year’s LTL rankings by revenue.

其他运营商高管表示，与其与行业中的逆风作斗争，不如顺应潮流，根据不断变化的客户需求进行交付。 阿韦里特公司负责销售和市场的执行副总裁菲尔 · 皮尔斯说: “我们选择进化，而不是阻止现代 供应链中发生的变化。”。 在今年的 LTL 收入排行榜上，阿韦里特排名第12位。

As examples, Pierce points to two of Averitt’s newest service offerings—Averitt Distribution and Fulfillment (ADF) and Averitt Final-Mile to residential customers seeking a last-mile freight solution. “Consider the growth of online sales and the increasing demand for quicker deliveries that have moved into business-to-business markets,” he says.

作为例子，Pierce 指出了 Averitt 公司的两个最新服务产品—— Averitt Distribution and Fulfillment (ADF)和 Averitt Final-Mile，它们面向寻求最后一英里货运解决方案的住宅客户。 他说: “考虑到在线销售的增长，以及已经进入 B2B 市场的快递需求的增长。”。

According to Pierce, the ADF infrastructure consists of numerous shared-space distribution centers, a network that has grown to more than 1.2 million square-feet of freight staging and inventory management space. Averitt positioned the service in key markets, such as Nashville, Atlanta and Austin where those facilities enabled it to increase the speed-to-market of customers’ products.

据 Pierce 说，ADF 基础设施包括许多共享空间的配送中心，这个网络已经扩大到120多万平方英尺的货运中转和库存管理空间。 阿维里特将该服务定位于主要市场，如纳什维尔、亚特兰大和奥斯汀，这些设施使其能够提高客户产品的上市速度。

“Additionally, we can integrate a wide variety of our services, including LTL, intermodal and drayage to provide our shippers a complete supply chain solution,” adds Pierce.

“此外，我们可以整合各种各样的服务，包括 LTL、多式联运和运输，为我们的托运人提供一个完整的供应链解决方案，” Pierce 补充说。

But it’s still equipment utilization that drives profits. The best carriers live by the mantra of how to best utilize their two most expensive assets—drivers and equipment. YRC’s Hawkins calls it the “biggest opportunity we have” to drive better productivity and profits.

但是，仍然是设备利用率带动了利润。 最好的运营商生活在如何最好地利用他们两个最昂贵的资产---- 驱动器和设备的咒语。 Yrc 的霍金斯称之为“我们拥有的最大机会” ，以推动更好的生产力和利润。

“Drivers and equipment are very expensive and we have to keep our most expensive assets freed up and productive,” Hawkins said. “That requires good, clear lines of communication. We prioritize freeing up our equipment and drivers. We need to keep both moving to cover their costs.”

“司机和设备非常昂贵，我们必须释放我们最昂贵的资产和生产力，”霍金斯说。 “这需要良好、清晰的沟通渠道。 我们优先解放我们的设备和司机。 我们需要让这两家公司继续迁移，以支付它们的成本。”

In an era of historically low unemployment, the decades-old driver shortage has only worsened as qualified drivers have become scarcer and more expensive than ever. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimates the industry is short some 60,000 drivers right now—and that total could top 100,000 in the next few years.

在一个失业率处于历史低位的时代，由于合格的司机比以往任何时候都更加稀缺和昂贵，长达数十年的司机短缺问题只会进一步恶化。 据美国卡车运输协会(ATA)估计，目前该行业缺少约6万名司机，未来几年总人数可能超过10万。

For decades, the biggest churn was in the truckload sector where driver turnover can exceed 100% at even some large companies. The unionized sector—which mainly consists of UPS freight and parcel, YRC long-haul and regional and ABF Freight—was largely immune from the shortage.

几十年来，最大的波动发生在卡车装载行业，即使在一些大公司，司机流动率也可能超过100% 。 工会部门——主要包括 UPS 快递、 YRC 长途、区域和 ABF 货运——基本上没有受到短缺的影响。

However, now even unionized companies—even though their turnover rates are in the single digits—are being hit by driver shortages as the work force ages and retire. Industry leaders say demographics are working against the industry, even in the unionized sector. “The available pool is not as deep as it once was,” says YRC’s Hawkins. “We offer a good pay package and the LTL lifestyle is good and that keeps our turnover rates in the single digits.”

然而，现在即使是加入工会的公司——尽管它们的人员流动率只有个位数——也受到了驾驶员短缺的影响，因为劳动力老龄化和退休。 行业领袖表示，人口统计数据对这个行业不利，即使在工会化的行业也是如此。 Yrc 的霍金斯表示: “可用的游泳池不像以前那么深了。”。 “我们提供良好的 薪酬待遇，LTL 的生活方式也很好，这使我们的离职率保持在个位数。”

But even YRC and other companies have had to expand their recruiting base. YRC actively recruits military veterans who now comprise 14% of its work force while women drivers account for another 6%.

但是即使是 YRC 和其他公司也不得不扩大他们的 招聘基地。 Yrc 积极招募退伍军人，他们现在占其劳动力的14% ，而女司机占另外6% 。

New Jersey-based NFI says that it has grown its female driver population by more than 36% in one year by offering higher pay and benefits. NFI adds that it is “committed to diversity by building an industry-leading training program that gives female drivers the opportunity to train and mentor women who have just graduated from truck driving school.”

总部位于新泽西州的 NFI 表示，通过提供更高的工资和福利，该公司的女性司机人数在一年内增加了36% 以上。 Nfi 补充说，它“致力于多样化，建立一个行业领先的培训方案，让女司机有机会培训和指导刚从卡车驾驶学校毕业的女性”

New truck, trailer sales down—bad news for shippers新卡车、拖车销量下滑ーー对托运人来说是个坏消息

Averitt’s Pierce said the carrier is committed to getting drivers home “every week” both in its LTL and truckload divisions. Indeed, maintaining a fresh fleet with measures such as this has been a major factor that has allowed the top carriers to overcome the challenges of fuel, regulations and retaining drivers.

阿韦里特公司的皮尔斯表示，该公司承诺在 LTL 和卡车装载部门“每周”接送司机回家。 实际上，通过这样的措施来维持一支新的车队，已经成为一个主要因素，使得顶级航空公司能够克服燃料、法规和留住司机等方面的挑战。

The technology and ergonomic designs found in modern tractors and trailers provide improved fuel efficiency, increased safety performance and comfort for drivers. That has allowed some large carriers to keep the average age of their fleet to less than three years old.

现代拖拉机和挂车的技术和人体工程学设计提供了更高的燃油效率，提高了驾驶员的安全性能和舒适性。 这使得一些大型航空公司将其机队的平均年龄保持在三年以下。

And like many carriers, Averitt is continuously seeking ways to improve the driver experience. It recently implemented a per diem program in addition to its layover, detention and minimum mile pay systems. According to Pierce, the carrier has also focused on enhancing many of their service centers to include “driver support centers.” Among other amenities, these facilities feature lounge areas, Internet access, showers, laundry machines and gym equipment.

和许多航空公司一样，艾维瑞特也在不断寻找改善驾驶体验的方法。 除了中途停留、拘留和最低英里工资制度之外，它最近还实施了每日津贴计划。 据皮尔斯说，该公司还专注于加强许多服务中心，使其包括“司机支持中心” 除了其他设施，这些设施还有休息区、上网、淋浴、洗衣机和健身设备。

“Our goal is to provide as much comfort to our drivers as we possibly can,” Pierce said.

皮尔斯说: “我们的目标是尽可能地为我们的司机提供更多的安慰。”。

Until the coronavirus scare hit in the first quarter, Top 50 carrier executives were rather optimistic about the 2020 rate picture—but uncertainty is now in the air.

在冠状病毒恐慌在今年第一季度爆发之前，50大航空公司高管对2020年的利率前景相当乐观，但现在不确定性仍然存在。

Susquehanna Financial Group recently issued a forecast that was mostly bad news for shippers. It says trucking rates would have a “melt-up”—in other words, an irrational increase. The epidemic tempered that a bit, but the report by analyst Bascome Majors was enough for the company to raise ratings on Landstar and Werner, two TL giants in the top 10 of LM rankings.

萨斯奎哈纳金融集团(Susquehanna Financial Group)最近发布的一项预测显示，对托运人而言，这大多是坏消息。 该机构表示，卡车运费将出现“融化”——换句话说，就是不合理的增长。 流行病稍微缓和了一点，但是分析师 Bascome Majors 的 报告足以让公司提高对 Landstar 和 Werner 的评级，这两家 TL 巨头在 LM 排名前10。

After falling for 16 straight months, spot TL rates have evened out and even started to rise in the first quarter, according to DAT, a research firm. “Spring could be coming early to truckload freight,” DAT reported in the first quarter. “Load counts are holding steady and load-to-truck ratios are showing signs of life, for vans, reefers and flatbeds. Rates are even starting to trend up, especially in the eastern half of the country.”

根据研究公司 DAT 的数据，在连续下跌16个月后，现货 TL 价格已经趋于平稳，甚至在第一季度开始上升。 Dat 在第一季度报告说: “春天可能提前到来，以便装载货物。”。 “装载量保持稳定，货车、冷藏车和平板车的装载量与货车的比率也显示出生命迹象。 利率甚至开始呈上升趋势，尤其是在中国东部地区。”

Overall TL capacity is forecast to shrink 1% this year compared to a 4% increase in both 2018 and 2019. “Seasonal-plus patterns are returning to volatile real-time rates,” Majors added.

与2018年和2019年4% 的增长相比，今年的总产能预计将下降1% 。 “季节性加值模式正在回归实时利率的波动，” Majors 补充说。

With shippers’ supply chains and inventories slowly adjusting due to the coronavirus, trucking executives say 2020 should be a better year than 2019, but not as good as 2018 when nearly every trucking company was profitable.

由于冠状病毒导致托运人的供应链和库存缓慢调整，货运业高管表示，2020年应该比2019年更好，但不如2018年，当时几乎所有的货运公司都实现了盈利。

However, nobody is saying that with any great deal of certainty due to the coronavirus disruptions to worldwide supply chains. “It’s not 2018 or 2019. But capacity was a little more balanced at the beginning of the year than it was at the end of last year,” adds Landstar CEO Gattoni.

然而，由于冠状病毒破坏了世界范围的供应链，没有人可以肯定地说这是真的。 “现在不是2018年或2019年。 但与去年年底相比，今年年初的产能略有平衡。”。

That evenness in demand levels is somewhat offset by what some executives say are relentless increases in their internal costs. However, operational costs for truckers are rising, often by double-digit percentages. Insurance costs, stung by what trucking executives call “nuclear settlements” by juries in wrongful death accident cases, are doubling for some smaller carriers.

这种需求水平的均匀性在一定程度上被一些高管所说的内部成本的不断增加所抵消。 然而，卡车司机的运营成本正在上升，通常达到两位数的百分比。 对于一些小型运输公司来说，保险成本正在翻倍。在意外死亡事故案件中，运输公司高管称陪审团达成的“核和解协议” ，对保险公司造成了损。

The ATA’s research arm says rising insurance rates are contributing to an overall 7% rise in trucking costs. “We have to offset that every year, and that factors in our rate increases,” adds YRC’s Hawkins. 

Ata 的研究部门表示，不断上涨的保险费率导致整个运输成本上升了7% 。 Yrc 的霍金斯补充称: “我们每年都必须抵消这一影响，而这也是我们加息的原因。”。