Analyst Insight: Shippers have controlled the dialogue on rates and service for several years. This has now past, as several key factors now help carriers negotiate at the bargaining table. The could lead to a true "play or pay" scenario most shippers are not prepared to fully appreciate. – Karl B. Manrodt, Professor of Logistics, Georgia College & State University
For states in the northern half of the country, particularly the Midwest and Northeast, tough winters are expected. Prolonged freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls rarely catch anyone off guard in those regions.