Challenges and uncertainties in the freight brokerage industry

The numbers and current state of the industry lead to the conclusion that the return of the full truckload market remains uncertain

The downturn in the freight transportation sector continues to affect companies like Surge and Convoy, which have been forced to exit the business. With offer rejection rates around 4%, the first quarter of 2024 reflects the impact on major transportation providers and their brokers.

Companies like J.B. Hunt exemplify this ongoing slump. This brokerage freight transport company experienced a 26% drop in gross revenue, reaching $285 million, due to a 22% decrease in loads and a 5% decrease in revenue per load compared to the previous year. Despite Hunt’s investments in improving its online platform, J.B. Hunt Carrier 360, gross margins increased to 14.3% from 13.4% the previous year, according to information published by FreightWaves.

Market perspective on freight brokerage

FreightWaves consulted Kevin Hill, a logistics expert at Brush Pass Research, about the state of the freight brokerage market and industry. Hill describes the market as “brutal,” where finding new shippers, securing more loads, and setting profitable prices are major challenges. Although there are 27,000 active brokers in the United States, 88% of the sector’s gross revenue is controlled by the top 1,000 brokers. The top 50 brokers, who compete with the largest trucking carriers by volume, have been the most affected by the freight transportation recession.

Small and medium-sized companies managed to increase their gross revenues in 2023 despite declining revenue per load, while larger ones, like J.B. Hunt’s ICS, experienced steep declines. In 2023, the top 20 brokerages saw a 13% drop in gross revenues, according to Hill. He attributed this to a predictable pullback after unprecedented expansion during the pandemic.

Market uncertainty

The numbers and current state of the industry lead to the conclusion that the return of the full truckload market remains uncertain due to the difficulty in assessing how quickly excess capacity is being absorbed. Although volume has grown, there is no clear catalyst as in past cycles.

Knight-Swift is one of the companies showing pessimism, as before its first-quarter earnings presentation, the company announced poor results and reduced its profit forecasts for the first half of the year by 56%. This outlook reflects an industry in constant flux and adaptation, where companies seek to balance supply and demand in a challenging and evolving market.