DOD rates and volume way down

We have been home since the start of the month and are still waiting for a load out of the northwest where we live. Before we went home we noticed rates had fallen about 30% from last year and volume is down. We even heard TSMT was cancelling the contracts of some of their owner ops. We participated in a company conference call and they said there were 500 fewer DOD loads for January compared to a year earlier. That’s a lot of arms and ammo not being delivered, at least not by truck. We are starting to wonder if hauling for a different company carrying civilian freight would be better but this site is full of threads about how bad the spot market is. Any of you have any ideas why DOD freight is way down from a year ago? Is any freight paying well now? I’d park the truck and do something else for awhile until things improve but it is still under warranty and I’d like to run it as much as possible before I’m on the hook for repairs. I’m especially interested in hearing from teams from LS about their volume. I’d hate to abandon DOD altogether but might have to if the drought lasts much longer.

 

So are you wanting war, because war is great for trucking. It sucks for troops, the budget, etc but you’ll get your loads!

 

I don’t currently hate any countries enough to wish war with them. Do you have a problem with supporting the military?

 

Midnight, this isn't the political forum, but that said, the movement of arms and ordinance has slowed but it will pick up, and it won't be caused by a war.

 

Lets keep politics out of this. Use the political forum.

 

Boeing is on the skids to after the 737 max crash , a lot of people I know up in Everett and Renton are drawing unemployment.
I wonder how Boyle is doing.

 

Please tell me how anything I have posted here is political. The post is about military freight volume and a guy seems to have a problem with hauling loads to support the military. I didn’t ask to be criticized for what type of freight I haul.

 

I’m not being political at all. I’ve hauled a lot of military freight from torps and tomahawks to blown up vehicles returning from the middle east. AAE is slow when we aren’t slinging it at enemies. There will always be training, but enjoy the peace.
What midnight is experiencing is normal and is the problem when you lease to a one trick pony like SLT/TSMT or whatever they’re called these days. It’s also very difficult to have sympathy when he’s leased to the very company that destroyed AA&E rates in the first place.

 

It has to pick up eventually. I’m just wondering if anyone has a clue why it’s so slow. I’ve texted other people who do DOD and it’s like this nationwide.

 

I’m leased to Bennett. Not a fan of TSMT.