RE: my theory on all this slowdown.....
Ok. First off, freight is actually slow in ALL sectors, not just expedite. I believe here is at least a large part of the issue.
The housing boom is over, and now that the interest rates are climbing, people are waking up and realizing that they can no longer afford the mortgage on the big house that they purchased with a flexible rate loan. Foreclosure is at an all time high, and what we have are the remaining folks no longer buying big ticket items, ie. cars, boats, home appliances, because they can only barely afford their home loan now.
Part of this is simple economics blunders, such as borrowing more principle than you could ever possibly repay. The other end is the "fear factor" caused by sensationalism within the media. With the first item being a reality that is likely to be with us for some time, the recent report that came out last week giving a favorable economic outlook to the rest of the year could trickle down to get manufacturers working again and people buying once more.
BTW, over staffing of owner operators is a very prospective venture. At times carriers are way overstaffed. At times, they can quickly be very understaffed. This can happen due simply to the activity of a couple major customers.
Hang in there. I don't think this country is going to be able to avoid recession. No one person is to blame for that. It is a part of a larger economic cycle. I read one analyst who said she has generally seen it as a 16 year cycle in our nation for the past 100 years or so.
Drive Safe!
Jeff
Driver for 15 years
O/O for 13 years
OOIDA #829119
[em]"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed." --Mark Twain[/em]
