The 2014 TMW Transportation & Logistics Study is now available from TMW Systems. In its second year, the industry benchmarking study has more than doubled the number of companies participating, with detailed results collected from more than 130 businesses representing the truckload irregular, truckload dedicated and brokerage/non-asset segments, according to TMW Systems.

Designed to assist transportation service providers in confirming industry best practices and benchmarking their performance, the study presents data gleaned from more than 200 online survey questions spanning financial, operational and maintenance topics. Combined revenue of all participating entities exceeded $24 billion over the preceding 12 months.

“This study is a ‘must-read’ for transportation professionals who want to compare their performance against industry peers and explore proven strategies for maximizing competitive advantage,” said TMW President David Wangler. “With more than twice the number of participants over the previous year and rising interest from more companies to take part in 2015, there’s a clear need for this comprehensive annual benchmarking tool.”

The study results highlight improved utilization and financial performance among many carriers, year-over-year, as well as the value in leveraging developed carrier networks to achieve stronger gross margins for brokerage/non-asset service providers, TMW said. Among the insights addressed in the study:

• Driver retention: Survey responses underscore the clear relationship between driver wages and retention. Length of haul and utilization also emerged as important factors in driver turnover.
• Rates: Truckload carriers in the study averaged 7% net rate increases, a trend of interest for brokerage and third-party logistics providers as well as shippers.
• Asset utilization: Many survey respondents successfully leveraged new technology to achieve gains in utilization. As one example, dedicated fleets that utilize planning optimization experienced an average year-over-year increase of 142 revenue miles per seated truck per week, according to the survey.
• Fleet maintenance: Participants reported greater difficulty in gaining visibility into equipment maintenance metrics than any other functional area, and a majority indicated they do not adequately track maintenance costs by equipment age group.
• Operating ratios and margins: A majority of participating asset-based businesses reported operating ratios of 96% or lower, a healthy increase over last year’s results, according to TMW’s survey. Gross margin variations for brokerage and logistics service providers are also analyzed in the study according to operational mix.

Click here or visit www.tmwsystems.com to download a summary version of the study and to sign up to receive the survey questions for the 2015 study.