Accomplished entrepreneur Robert Rogulic is the founder, president, and CEO of Tri-National, Inc., a trucking company based in Missouri. Under the leadership of Robert Rogulic, Tri-National, Inc., provides door-to-door service spanning Canada, Mexico, and the central corridor of the US.
Peterbilt expects to sell 235,000 to 265,000 of its heaviest-weight vehicles in the US and Canada in 2018. That would make this year the third-best ever for its heavy truck sales. Meanwhile, early 2018 freight tonnage has increased dramatically compared to 2017. In January, total tonnage jumped 8.8 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, indicating a growing demand for freight.
With the increasing demand has come increasing freight rates. Many dry van rates increased by $0.59 per mile in January 2018 when compared to January 2017. And refrigerated and flatbed rates saw an increase of $0.71 and $0.47 per mile, respectively.
However, many trucking companies are struggling with the problem of finding enough drivers to handle the increasing demand. Fewer and fewer people are entering into the industry as older drivers are leaving. This has created a significant driver shortage that prevents some companies from expanding their fleet.
Still, the news isn’t all bad. Although these companies are struggling to increase their fleet size, they are also focusing on replacing trucks with newer models that feature advanced technology that may attract more drivers.
