Transportation companies of all kinds were among the first to feel the effects of economic slowdown. Freight volumes began to be affected as early as 2007 and they have only continued to lower as consumers have reduced their spending further and further. The good news is that economists and other insiders are suggesting that we have finally found the bottom of our economic freefall.

What does this mean for our freight volumes? Well not as much as you might think. All sorts of freight carriers are reporting a slight improvement from last quarter’s extremely weak freight levels. Unfortunately no one is seeing the traditional peak in freight volumes that comes with back to school sales to signal the beginning of a carrier’s busy season. Some companies are predicting that it simply won’t come. Retailer inventories may be so affected by the economy that they are able to restock slowly without triggering the expected spike. This in turn, means that freight volumes may stay low through what is normally a carrier’s busy season. They may be low, but crucially, steady. Though there is little growth predicted as the economy comes out of free fall, cuts are waning, markets are firming, and freight volumes are rising. The transportation industry may not lead the economy out of its depression this time, but its fortunes will continue to rise steadily into the future.

Times are hard for everyone, including the trucking industry. Despite it all there are a few bright spots. The first is that economists are saying that we have reached our lowest point and that the economy will now begin to recover slowly, but surely. That’s great news for the future, but how to hold on until then?

Unlike many other industries, shipping cannot be outsourced. Goods will always need to be moved from one location to another. The key is to be the one moving those goods and to make money doing it. Fortunately for the trucking industry, diesel prices continue to be low, helping to keep the costs of carrying low as well. What else can you do?

*Find as many ways as possible to cut costs. Be creative and efficient. One carrier keeps a coffeemaker on boards to reduce his need for stops.

*Use whatever sources necessary to secure a constant volume of work, in order to keep your gross income flowing. Load boards are a good source of postings.

*Diversify. Take on anything and everything you can to keep your truck full and moving.

Remember that although recent numbers say that industries outside of trucking are still losing position, truck-driving jobs remain in demand. This is despite furloughs and temporary hiring freezes. The key to success is to hold on and plan for the future.

A recent study was published in The American Journal of Health attributing 12, 545 traffic fatalities to higher speed limits implemented between 19995 and 2005. It is an undisputed fact that in a collision driving speed increases impact speed. The faster the involved vehicles are going, the worse the crash. And so the study calls for lowered speed limits on the national level, claiming they will not only save lives, but lower gas consumption and reduce emissions. But the study only tells one part of the story.

Research suggests that the problem may be more complicated than that. Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have shown that accidents and deaths increase when speed limits for all vehicles are raised. What about when speed limits for trucks are raised? There are eleven states in the U.S. that post different speed limits for cars and truckers. These differences seem trivial to the average driver (who, studies show, frequently exceeds the speed limit), but the long haul driver is heavily penalized by them. Not only do these lower limits represent a lowered income potential, studies are showing that they also represent an increased risk of collision. At high speeds, deviation from the average speed of traffic makes you a magnet for accidents.

Truckers report that, in an effort to avoid being slowed, drivers are engaging in risky, accident-prone behavior. The research backs them up. The roads are simply safer if everyone drives at the same speed.

When the EPA changes its emissions standards in 2010, there will be two to meet them. The first is SCR, which stands for Selective Catalytic Reduction. This process reduces the output of nitrogen oxides by adding a urea solution to the exhaust. The high temperature triggers a chemical reaction that changes nitrogen oxides to harmless byproducts. The second is Cooled EGR, or Exhaust Gas Recirculation. In this engine, some exhaust is re-circulated into the engine air intake and mixes with fresh air. This lowers the amount of oxygen in the combustion tank, which in turn, lowers the temperature and the nitrogen oxide output. The exhaust can then be cooled to reduce emissions even further.

Both engines can reduce emissions by up to 90%. The differences between them come down to cost. SCR uses a smaller, lighter engine. It requires an added tank for urea, but improves both thermal efficiency and fuel economy. Major considerations will include replacing urea. If it runs out, there will be a 40% reduction in torque output. The cost effectiveness of this engine rests on the price stability of the urea solution. Cooled EGR requires a larger and heavier engine, but has no additive or tank costs and the user wouldn’t need to replenish urea to keep the engine from powering down. The engine would require a larger radiator and fan to lower heat and its fuel cost is higher than that of SCR. Both engines meet the new standards and both have pros and cons.

A freight broker is the middleman of the freight shipping industry. He connects the shipper to the carrier, negotiating a percentage-based fee for his services. The key to his usefulness, for both parties, is his knowledge base. A good broker must know his area of the shipping industry, the technologies available to him to move freight, as well as the carriers best equipped to do it. Frequently this knowledge comes from having been a carrier himself at one time or another. By maintaining a large number and variety of contacts, the broker is able to connect a shipper and his specific needs with the right kind of carrier. The shipper moves his freight and the carrier fills his vehicle. Everyone saves time, aggravation, and money. Everyone wins.

Or do they? Because the broker represents his shipping clients in the transaction between shipper and carrier, the interests of carrier and broker can sometimes compete. A broker must protect the customer base that represents its income, but a carrier needs to know that it will be adequately compensated. He needs to know that his interests will be looked after if the is a dispute about payment.

So how to keep from getting burned? The key is communication. A properly structured agreement between broker and carrier will keep all three parties protected and their business relationship flourishing.