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says. “We do expect rate increases for
carriers on a contractual basis in 2021.
We think it’s happening in the second
half of 2020. The market is going to “I DON’T THINK PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE
support rate increases again for the first IMPACT THAT VERY LIMITED LEISURE TRAVEL HAS
time in 18 months.” HAD ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE U.S. CONSUMER
The news about rates, while bet- TO CONSUME … I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF STUFF
ter than expected, has not been equally
good for all carriers. Larger companies MOVING ON A TRUCK THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
and carriers, like Amazon and Walmart, SPENT ON LEISURE TRAVEL.”
are faring better than many small and
mid-size fleets. And not all large com- –JACK ATKINS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION
panies are doing well. Macy’s, Kohl’s RESEARCH AT STEPHENS, INC.
and Nordstrom — all big, recognizable
names — suffered significant losses in
the first quarter of 2020. These things
hint at the uncertainties in the data. magnitude has happened before. The worse, others better. Most are uncertain
biggest mystery in this story is what about effective strategies for addressing
X-FACTORS will the coronavirus do next? Parts of a virus too new to understand. If
It’s easier to understand the the country that once appeared to be this were an outbreak of measles
past than it is to predict the future, relatively safe have become hot spots or mumps — viruses that have been
especially with so few points of for viral outbreaks. In late September, carefully studied — perhaps there would
comparison. We can’t look back at there were at least 80,000 confirmed be more agreement on how to proceed.
dozens of previous global pandemics cases of COVID-19 in Arkansas, and In addition to the uncertainties
and make predictions about how the daily count of new cases was above surrounding the virus, other unknowns
this one will unfold. Nothing of this 800 frequently. Some states were faring loom in both the near and distant
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ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2020 29