Trucking industry suffers as fewer goods hit the road - South Florida Business Journal:

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With consumer demand down, the reports that its truck tonnage a gauge offreight movement, has been dropping since The losses were less than 2 percen from September through November, but the index fell 14 percent in December and the following two months were down 10.8 percenty and 9.2 percent. The fallout is hittingy Carlos Duenas, owner of in Miami. Duenas, who primarilyy moves containerized cargo to and from Port Evergladee and the Portof Miami, said his business started falling this January, sliding about 20 percent. MVC is now haulin about 250 to 260 containersa week, down from more than 300. As demanr has slowed, Duenas also has felt pressure to lowe his rates about20 percent.
he owns all of his 26 truck and isn’t laden with debt. “This is going to be a year that only the fittest will he predicted. Among the truckin g businesses hardest hit by the recession are those tiedto construction. With the slowdowjn in real estate, there is little need for the trucks that providedancillary services, said Mattheaw Ubben, a spokesman for the . “It’xs anemic at the moment,” he said. The Southj Florida trucking industry in general may bounce back more quickly because of the diversityu of goods moving through the saidEdward Mierzejewski, a transportation economistr and director of the at the in Tampa.
“Tl the extent that you’ves got a broad range of things moving througgthe port, you’re less vulnerable to the kind of peakinbg in the market that comes with construction-related materials,” he A diversified business model is helping Merchant Transporgt survive, GM John Dewhurst The company, which operates from West Palm Beach, hauls specialo loads for industrial and construction It also gets revenue from related like renting the cranes it Merchant Transport hauls heavty equipment, industrial machines and works for utility Merchant has seen a drop of about 20 percenr over the last two years, Dewhurst And, it has so far been able to avoid layoffse among its 34 employees, though that hasn’t been easy with haulinh rates dropping “approximately 10 percentt across the board,” Dewhurst said.
David president of , a family business in Palm City near also has watched his business drop abour20 percent. The slide startee last July or August, he Since then, the company has had to make some though Armellini declined to give The company has about 200 peoplre on staff and owns aboug130 trucks, he said. Most of Armellini’s truckingy involves moving flowersfrom , but the company is now trying to diversify by haulingb more produce. About 30 percent of the business involves haulinhother consumables, he said. The company has had to drop Armellini acknowledged, though he declinedc to be specific about as well.
“We’re having to make the cuts like everyonre else to remain astrongg company.”