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By all measures queried in the just-released fifth annual Transcore DAT Broker Benchmark Survey , 2011 turned out to be a second positive year in a row for non-asset based brokers, broker-carriers and 3PLs alike.
"Last year was a good year for brokers-- as was 2010- in terms of loads, revenues and profits," David Schrader, senior vice president of operations for DAT told FleetOwner . "And for carriers," he noted, "2010 also was a good year and we expect similar results for 2011 in our upcoming carrier survey."
The survey found that in 2011 freight brokers moved 19% more loads and their total revenues rose 31%. Revenue per load went up 9.5%. Average gross margin per truck load was 15%, up 0.7% from the year before. Gross profits per load increased 10.3% and gross profits 11%. What's more, brokers in business for at least two years saw an average 18.9% increase in loads per month last year.
DAT invited 5,000 brokers, broker-carriers and 3 PLs to answer its survey about their business and to compare their results from 2011 with 2010. Of the respondents, 62% were non-asset based brokers; 23% were asset-based broker-carriers, and 15% were either 3PLs or freight forwarders. Independent agents were not counted in survey totals.
Dry vans hauled the majority-- 54%-- of respondents' loads with another 27% allocated to flatbeds, 14% to reefers and 2% to...