GLG News Analyses of the following article:

Paying at the Pump, in a Big Way

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Published at: www.nytimes.com

Jay ThompsonPresident and General ManagerTransportation Business Associates

Owner-Operator v. Independent Contractor v. Small Fleet - The Hierarchy Of Failure Rates

March 27, 2008

Owner-operator’s (OO) and Independent Contractor’s (IC) are often confused with each other and experts within our own industry often use them as one in the same. They should be assessed independently, as they bring light to some of the problem areas - and opportunities. My colleague Mr. Schultz analysis offers a good overview, so we offer the following input.

John WilkersonExecutive DirectorBELLWETHER SERVICES, LLC

The 3rd quarter looks worse

March 26, 2008

Dow Transports were up late last week, but the future for brokers & independents may place a damper on the market this summer.  Many experts expect truckload capacity to tighten this summer.

John SchulzIndependent Analyst - Contributing EditorLogistics Management Magazine

Bankruptcies, Independents, Owner-Operators and U.S. Trucking Capacity

March 25, 2008

  Increasingly, owner-operators are parking their trucks rather than chasing scant freight at a time when diesel prices are over $4 a gallon in some parts of the United States.   Diesel costs -- which have tripled under the Bush administration -- are finally taking a toll on U.S. independent truckers.  Truck tonnage was off 1.5 percent last year, a severe enough economic climate notwithstanding the record costs of diesel.   While large trucking companies can recoup fuel spikes through surcharges -- which have reached nearly 50 percent at some truckload carriers -- independents are at the whim of the customer. Some pay, some don't.   The impact of all this is still being felt throughout the trucking industry and the U.S. economy, and it's unclear who will actually benefit.