1 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, This is Lee Clasgow when We're Talking Transports. 2 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Bloomberg Intelligence Talking Transports podcast. I'm your host, 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: Lee Klaskow, Senior Freight, Transportation and Logistics Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence, 4 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: Bloomberg's end house research arm of almost five hundred analysts 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: and strategists around the globe. Before diving in a little 6 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: public service announcement, your support is instrumental to keep bringing 7 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: great guests and conversations to you, our listeners. 8 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 2: And we use your support. 9 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: So please, if you enjoyed this podcast, share it, like 10 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: it and leave a comment. Also, if you have any 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: ideas for a future episode or just want to talk transports, 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: please hit me up on the Bloomberg terminal, on LinkedIn 13 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: or on Twitter at logistics Late. Now on to our episode. Today, 14 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: we're gonna do something a little different. This episode will 15 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: be co hosted Bye bye Bloomberg Intelligence colleague and fellow 16 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: Ithaca College alum, Chris Chillino. Chris is Bloomberg Intelligence senior 17 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: miss Machinery analysts, and our guest today is Tim Denouer, 18 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: Vice president and senior Analysts at ACT Research, a provider 19 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: of research and analysis of the commercial vehicle and transportation sectors. 20 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: I've known Tim for the better part of twenty years 21 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: from our time when we overlapped at Crudential Equity Group. 22 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: Tim lead's transportation research and authors ACT Freight Forecasts, US. 23 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 3: Rate and Volume Outlook. His work provides critical insights into 24 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 3: pricing and volume trends across truckload LTL and intermobile markets. 25 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 3: Tim joined ACT in twenty seventeen after fifteen years in 26 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 3: equity research, including rules at Wolf Research and Ballyasny Asset Management. 27 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 3: He also analyzes commercial vehicle demand and alternative power trains. 28 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 3: He owns a BBA in Economics and finance from James 29 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 3: Madison University. So Go Dukes, Welcome to the podcast. 30 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 4: Tim, How you doing very good? 31 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 3: Thanks for having me Lee, It's great to see you. 32 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: So just you know, I gave a little introduction about 33 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: what ACT Research is all about. If you can provide 34 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: a lot more details, that'd be fantastic. 35 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: Before we get into the meat and bones. Yeah. 36 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 4: Sure. We are an industry consultancy focused on the commercial 37 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 4: vehicle markets and specializing in data analysis and forecasting, specifically 38 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 4: with the classes five through eight vehicle markets, sales and production, 39 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 4: and that type of thing. We focus a lot on 40 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 4: freight rates and volumes and use truck prices to name 41 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 4: a few things we're into. 42 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: Right, So before we go into, you know, the truck 43 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: oem market, can you just give us a backdrop of 44 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: where you're seeing the freight markets right now, because you know, 45 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: I don't know about you. It's difficult times to kind 46 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: of predict where demand is going. 47 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, absolutely, it's it's we're in the third year of 48 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 4: a freight recession in the four higher trucking markets that 49 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 4: does not seem like it's going to end too quickly. 50 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 4: We think that it's going to last, you know, a 51 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 4: bit longer due to tariffs, But I'd say we have 52 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 4: a little bit of a different view on why it's 53 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 4: lasted as long as it has. We think the supply 54 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 4: side is a big piece of the puzzle, and the 55 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 4: private fleets, which represent a little bit more than half 56 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 4: of the tractors on the highway, have grown pretty significantly 57 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 4: in the past five years since the pandemic, and we 58 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 4: think that's one of the reasons that this freight recession 59 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:24,959 Speaker 4: is just dragging off. 60 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: Right, And for those listening, private fleets so Walmart owns 61 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: and operates their own trucks. They also use carriers like 62 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: JB Hun and Werner. So that's the for higher market. 63 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: So just for those that are uncertain, So, are you 64 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: expecting rates to move significantly higher from here, whether it's 65 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: spot market or contractual market. 66 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 4: Not for a while. I think it's it's gonna be 67 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 4: a little bit tough sledding in the spot market. We're 68 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 4: still we saw a decent increase in the road check 69 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 4: week in mid May, but pretty soft still coming out 70 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 4: of that in terms of there's there's just weakening demand 71 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 4: in the short term. We do think there's gonna be 72 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 4: an improvement in the third quarter from a demand perspective, 73 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 4: but I think that's that's gonna be relatively short lived. 74 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 4: And the higher tariffs are have reduced our economic outlook 75 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 4: fairly considerably over the past several months. 76 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: And do you guys have do you guys have a 77 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: call on like where you see rates like do you 78 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: see them increasing mid single digits this year? 79 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 2: Down mid single digits? Do you guys have it? Do 80 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: you guys put anything out there like that? Oh? 81 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 4: Absolutely? The current number for this year is one percent? 82 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 4: Is our okay? Forecasts for contract rates for twenty twenty five. 83 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, gotcha, all right? 84 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,479 Speaker 1: That that is probably I would say on on the 85 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: bear side from things that I've heard, but you know, 86 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: it's it's hard to argue against it as well. 87 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 2: So with all that, so, you know, I know a 88 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 2: lot of act research. Some of the bread and butter 89 00:04:58,279 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: is on the OEM side. 90 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: Can you talk about, you know, what your your outlook 91 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: for the North American Class eight market is in terms 92 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: of production for this year and maybe next year. 93 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 4: Sure. Absolutely, it has come down fairly considerably in the 94 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 4: past several months. And I'll talk a little bit more 95 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 4: directionally than you know, absolute numbers, but we have taken 96 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 4: about fifty thousand units out of the forecast in the 97 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 4: past three or four months because of the higher costs 98 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 4: associated with tariffs. 99 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: Hey, Tim, could you just say, like, so fifty thousand 100 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: out of like what's the what's the typical market in 101 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: North America? 102 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 4: Roughly you say three hundred thousand, okay, And so that 103 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 4: that downward directions has really been driven by, let's call it, 104 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 4: a paralysis of decision making in the past couple of months, 105 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 4: because it's become really difficult to order a vehicle when 106 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 4: we don't really know what the tariffs are going to 107 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 4: be at the end of the day, there's still a 108 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 4: number of questions and terms of how the teriffs will 109 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 4: shake out, and the fleets clearly don't like that uncertainty, 110 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 4: and so order activity has you know, I will say 111 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 4: ground to a halt, but it's it's down significantly. 112 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 5: Gotcha and Tim speaking of this order paralysis, I mean, 113 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 5: I think we're down about thirty percent year to date 114 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 5: on class state orders here in North America. I guess, 115 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 5: how are those orders tracking relative to your expectations, just 116 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 5: given the uncertainty out there with tariffs and the regulatory backdrop. 117 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 5: And I guess when do you think we could begin 118 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 5: to see a recovery in orders? 119 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 4: Yeah? Good question. So I would say that over the 120 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 4: past year or so, orders have sort of defied our 121 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 4: expectations to the high side. And to some extent it 122 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,919 Speaker 4: goes back to that private fleet theme that already touched on, 123 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 4: and that really led to more equipment manufacturing than the 124 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,559 Speaker 4: freight cycle would have justified, even going back to twenty 125 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 4: twenty three, twenty four, And so I would say owners, 126 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 4: while they've come down a lot this year, it's sort 127 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 4: of realigned with our expectations with what the freight cycle 128 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 4: really needs, and so that's actually a constructive thing for 129 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 4: moving the cycle forward. Obviously, it's not great from a 130 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 4: manufacturing perspective, because you know, all of the major manufacturers 131 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 4: have have announced layoffs in the past few months. But 132 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 4: this is a normal part of the cycle, and so 133 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 4: again it's not too unexpected. What has been surprising in 134 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 4: the order book in the past six months or so 135 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 4: is the day cabs have come down relative to sleepers 136 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 4: within the tractor orders. And while it's not a perfect 137 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 4: one for one, because a fair number of four hire 138 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 4: fleets do use daycabs, it is mostly a private fleet 139 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 4: equipment type, and so if we use daycabs as a 140 00:07:56,160 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 4: proxy for private fleets, it looks to us like they 141 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 4: are are really dialing back in their order activity, even 142 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 4: more so than in the sleeper market, which is the remainder. 143 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 4: So that's that's interesting, and it does suggest the cycle 144 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 4: is starting to turn. 145 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 2: Oh, that's interesting. 146 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 5: Are there other pockets of the truck market that are 147 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 5: holding up maybe better than you anticipated this year? And 148 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 5: then maybe conversely on the flip side, where's the weakness 149 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 5: most pronounced? 150 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a good question and I think you could 151 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 4: almost answer the same question. I mean, certainly that the 152 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 4: weakness has been pronounced in the truckload market for for 153 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 4: a while now, but the vocational part of the class 154 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 4: eight market, which doesn't get quite as much attention, which is, 155 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 4: you know, class eight straight trucks, which breaks down to 156 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 4: a lot of different vehicle types. It's dump trucks and 157 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 4: cement trucks and refuse trucks and those those types of 158 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 4: things that in general that that part of the market 159 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 4: had had held up really well over the past year 160 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 4: or so, as the tractor markets orded to cycle down. 161 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 4: What's changing there? I think there's been some some new 162 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 4: regulatory uncertainty, and where demand had been really strong for 163 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 4: vocational vehicles, that does seem to be changing a bit 164 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 4: as well in the past few months. 165 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 5: Okay, great, And what about the outlook for medium duty trucks? 166 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 5: Do you expect demand there to hold up better than 167 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 5: the heavy truck side really, not only this year but 168 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 5: into next year as well. 169 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 4: Medium duty is an interesting case where there is still 170 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 4: some degree of supply chain constraint at the bodybuilder level, 171 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 4: and we still have really elevated inventories for the on 172 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 4: the cap and jazzy side. They're waiting their their bodies 173 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 4: and so that's been a limiting factor. And we do 174 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 4: think the overall demanded medium duties is headed lower as 175 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 4: well because similar factors to the heavy heavy duty market, 176 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:02,439 Speaker 4: largely these higher costs of vehicles and the uncertainty around 177 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,439 Speaker 4: the tariffs. So I do think that's going to you know, 178 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 4: drive a considerable reduction in medium duty production. And they 179 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 4: haven't asked about it yet, but if you want to 180 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 4: talk about trailers as well, we cover that market, and 181 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 4: that markets has had a few decent mounts of orders 182 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 4: this year, but it was obviously going to be under 183 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 4: a lot of pressure as well because they're made mostly 184 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 4: of steel and aluminum. 185 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: So you know, you bentioned tariffs a little bit earlier. 186 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: So the trucks that are running on the roads in 187 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: North America are they made here? Are they just put 188 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: together here and they're using parts from overseas? Like, how 189 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: harder are the truck OEMs potentially going to get hit 190 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 1: from the tariffs? 191 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 4: Yeah? Good question. They need to be roughly two thirds. 192 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 4: I mean the numbers vary from sixty to seventy five 193 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 4: percent to be usmc A compliant and so there is 194 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 4: a fair amount of parts that come into to the 195 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 4: US that support the supply chain that uh, you know, 196 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 4: there's there's a lot of parts that are that are 197 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 4: sourced in in Europe and other places that uh, you know, 198 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 4: we talk a lot about our you know, connection to Mexico, 199 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 4: which is which I'll get to in a sect and 200 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 4: it's it's important, but it's also important to point out 201 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 4: that we've got a very close relationship with Europe and 202 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 4: there's a fair amount of you know, castings and those 203 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 4: kinds of things, you know, second and third tiers of 204 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 4: the supply chains that that we don't see, you know, 205 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 4: too directly that that you know, come from the lowest 206 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 4: cost places. And and and the we hear anecdotes from 207 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 4: ship from suppliers that uh, you know point out that 208 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,200 Speaker 4: they have worked really hard to you know, supply their 209 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 4: parts at from the lowest cost places. Uh. And and 210 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 4: so moving things back to the US is is going 211 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 4: to be very expensive, is the general theme that that 212 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 4: we hear. Uh. And so that's that's not gonna be easy. 213 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 4: But to answer your question, to come back to Mexico, 214 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 4: thirty four percent of the Class eight vehicles that were 215 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 4: sold in the US last year were assembled in Mexico, 216 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 4: and there is a bit of a mismatch at the 217 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 4: moment from a tariff perspective because those vehicles and this 218 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 4: is part of the Section two thirty two investigation that's 219 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 4: going on, but those vehicles will will end up with 220 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 4: a much lower tariff. Man I think, aside from steel 221 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 4: and liminum, there's not going to be very much that 222 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 4: those things are going to face because they're being assembled 223 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 4: in Mexico, whereas the remainder, which is being assembled in 224 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 4: the US is going to see those those reciprocal tariffs 225 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 4: and a number of other tariffs that have been enacted. 226 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 4: And so that the Class eight trucks that are being 227 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 4: assembled in the US are being currently put at a 228 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 4: competitive disadvantage to those they're built in Mexico. 229 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 2: Is there one OEM that's less exposed who tariffs versus 230 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 2: it's peers. 231 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 4: I think there's a significant exposure across the board, and 232 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 4: I think I think the that disadvantage that I just 233 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 4: talked to is likely to be corrected all right. 234 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: And is the impact felt similarly on trailers? Like where 235 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 1: trailers manufactured, they are they imported like containers. 236 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,839 Speaker 4: Or no actually, the trailer supply chain is still very 237 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 4: very much domestic. There are some some foreign manufacturers who 238 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 4: bring in some non US steal in some cases and 239 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 4: that's going to put them at a disadvantage. But there 240 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 4: are also some very very domestic trailer supply chains that 241 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 4: most of it is. You know, it's it's a bit 242 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 4: more fragmented than the truck market. There's there's more sort 243 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 4: of local players out there, including in Canada and Mexico. 244 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 5: So Tim, maybe circling back on your Section two thirty 245 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 5: two comments, and really for those of you unaware that 246 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 5: the US Department of Commerce announced back in ABE a 247 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 5: new Section two thirty two investigation into the impact of 248 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 5: heavy and medium duty trucks as well as truck parts 249 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 5: and components to really assess their impact on national security. 250 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,079 Speaker 5: The comment period ended, I believe May sixteenth, and we're 251 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 5: kind of now in this waiting period just to figure 252 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 5: out what the outcome is going to be here. I guess, 253 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 5: what are your expectations coming out of this and really 254 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 5: how could this impact the heavy truck markets moving forward? 255 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, I mean your guess is as good 256 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 4: as mine in terms of when we see a decision 257 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 4: you know, things have been happening faster than I think 258 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 4: most people expected in this administration. So it could take 259 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 4: I think two hundred and seventy days plus ninety days, 260 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 4: but I think we're expecting something perhaps sooner, and I think, 261 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 4: like I just described what the outcome is likely to add, 262 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 4: add even more to the cost of of these m 263 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:58,359 Speaker 4: duty trucks. 264 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 5: Right, Yeah, it's not just the section two thirty two. Right, 265 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 5: you talked earlier about steel and aluminum. We got the 266 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 5: baseline ten percent tariffs, We could get into some of 267 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 5: the regulatory changes going on or potential regulatory changes. All 268 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 5: of this seems to equate to higher truck prices moving forward. 269 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 5: Do you have a sense as to, you know, what 270 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 5: the price increase for a Class eight truck may look 271 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 5: like if we look out maybe over the next twelve months, 272 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 5: Like how much is of the cost how much is 273 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 5: that cost of the vehicle going to go up or 274 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 5: at least potentially due to you know, all these moving pieces. 275 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a good question. I think what we're hearing 276 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 4: from the dealer channel so far is it's a low 277 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 4: single digit percentage, it's two or three percent. I think 278 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 4: at the moment is our best sort of guess just 279 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 4: from what we hear, and you can certainly get there 280 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 4: from just understanding how much steel aluminum is in these vehicles, 281 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 4: but beyond that, it hasn't been too much just yet. 282 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 4: I think one of the things that's making it hard 283 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 4: for fleets to make decisions right now is the fact 284 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 4: that the tariffs could come back and could increase significantly, 285 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 4: and the question is who's going to pay for that, 286 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 4: and that's a difficult question for for both the fleets 287 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 4: and the manufacturers right now. It's worth stepping back for 288 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 4: a second to point out, and you rightly point out this, 289 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 4: this is on parts as well. So the aftermarket where 290 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 4: fleets you need to go to to maintain their vehicles, 291 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 4: that's going to face some pretty significant price increases as 292 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 4: well for parts in that channel. And so that's it's 293 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 4: all gonna make it, you know, tougher for fleets to 294 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 4: to continue to operate, and so it's going to continue 295 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 4: to tighten to reduce capacity and eventually we will get 296 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 4: to a tighter supply demand balance. So this all is, 297 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 4: you know, eventually going to be constructive for the fleets, 298 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 4: but it's gonna be rough in the short term. In 299 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 4: terms of how much could it add to the price 300 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 4: of the vehicle. I mean, we've done some analysis that 301 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 4: suggest I mean, if we're talking about a twenty five 302 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:16,199 Speaker 4: percent tariff thirty four percent of the vehicle's manufactured, just 303 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 4: for example, you can get to a double digit number 304 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 4: pretty quickly. 305 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: You know, you're mentioning earlier the you know, growth in 306 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: private fleets and kind of that had an impact of 307 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: weighing on rate. I guess we didn't really explore like 308 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: what was driving that. Do you do you have any 309 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: sense of what was driving the growth in private fleets? Yeah, 310 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: great question, and I did Glass over that. There's a 311 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: lot in this answer. 312 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 4: I think there's there's both a backward looking and a 313 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 4: forward looking aspect to it. From a backward looking perspective, 314 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 4: I think the sort of loss of supply chain control 315 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 4: that happened during the pandemic and the tightness of capacity 316 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 4: after the pandemic, during the chip shortage, that the real 317 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 4: really chapped a lot of supply chain managers and and 318 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 4: I think, you know that really motivated people to for 319 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 4: the first time in my career of watching freight, to 320 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:17,959 Speaker 4: to start insourcing free, which has historically been been more outsourced. 321 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:20,919 Speaker 4: It has been at the really thirty year trend before 322 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 4: the past five years, and so I think the backward 323 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:30,200 Speaker 4: looking trend was definitely supply chain control and cost costs 324 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 4: certainly spiked during the pandemic and then post pandemic. I 325 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 4: think there's been a pretty considerable surge in cargo theft 326 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 4: that has been a pretty big issue for most shippers. 327 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 4: I've talked to some shippers who shipped low value stuff 328 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 4: who don't really care if they get a load stolen 329 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 4: here or there, but most shippers care quite a lot. 330 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 4: So I think it's a bunch of things. But looking forward, 331 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 4: I think one of the main reasons in the past 332 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 4: two years really has been that respect that new truck 333 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 4: prices were going to go up significantly in twenty twenty 334 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 4: seven because of the low Knox regulations from the EPA, 335 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 4: which are now in question. 336 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: Right And for those that are interested in learning more 337 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: about cargo theft, we did an episode a couple of 338 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: weeks ago with Highway's chief commercial officers, So I'd suggest 339 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: folks going back to listening to that, Yeah, Tim. 340 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 5: Maybe pulling on that thread with the new new regulations 341 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 5: a little bit more here. So the heavy truck industry 342 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 5: obviously with looking at new regulations from the EPA coming 343 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 5: in twenty twenty seven to lower the NOOX emissions from 344 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 5: the vehicle. In addition to the more stringent emissions rules, 345 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 5: OEMs are also going to be faced with that extended 346 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 5: warranty period, So warranty coverage was going to go up 347 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 5: to about four hundred and fifty thousand miles from about 348 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 5: one hundred thousand today. The expectation was that we were 349 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,200 Speaker 5: going to see this big pre buy here in the 350 00:19:56,240 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 5: back half of twenty five and then all throughout twenty six. However, 351 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 5: as you alluded to in March, the EPA announced that 352 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 5: it's going to reconsider those twenty twenty seven emission standards. 353 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 5: If you could get out your crystal ball, like, what 354 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 5: do you think is the most likely outcome here? I mean, 355 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 5: do we get a full repeal, do we get a 356 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 5: partial repeal, does it stay intact? And really how does 357 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 5: that kind of influence your thinking around the magnitude and 358 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 5: duration of a potential pre buy. 359 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean not to you know, crystal ball is 360 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:28,879 Speaker 4: a good, good analogy, but to put it, if you 361 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 4: want to put it in bedding terms, my money would 362 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 4: be on the ATA. I think the ATA is, if 363 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 4: we're looking at the lobbying organizations, is you know, kind 364 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 4: of the leader. And there's a number of good lobbyists 365 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 4: in the trucking industry, but I feel like they are 366 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 4: are pretty influential, and they've put out some interesting information 367 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 4: that suggests that they support this sort of middle way, 368 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 4: if you will. That doesn't scrap the rule entirely, because 369 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 4: you know, let's be honest, there's been hundreds of millions of 370 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 4: dollars invested by the truck manufacturers now a lot the 371 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 4: average trucker may not care about those costs and may 372 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 4: not want to pay the higher TRUGT price no matter what. 373 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 4: But I think the A T A actually does and 374 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 4: this is an interesting debate that we've been having UH 375 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 4: for for some time. Is I think the A T 376 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 4: eight does understand that those better engines are going to 377 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 4: raise the barriers to entry in the industry and ultimately 378 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 4: be good for industry returns. I think that they understand that, 379 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 4: and there you know, there's there's obviously some arguments that 380 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 4: they've done some things over time that that disagree with that. 381 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 4: But but I think we'll end up with a rule 382 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 4: that that scraps the warranty and useful life provisions, but 383 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 4: but keeps those lower notch rules in place. Uh. And 384 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 4: I think that's that seems like the most likely outcome. 385 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 1: Uh. 386 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 4: Now, there's still I would say, say, a pretty dark 387 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 4: good chance as well, that just given the deregulatory zeal 388 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 4: of the new administration, that you know, there's a chance 389 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 4: that the rules go away entirely. I think that's very 390 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,359 Speaker 4: low probability of this. I mean, there's still some, but 391 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 4: I also think it's very low probability that the rule 392 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:08,719 Speaker 4: survives as it's written. 393 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,159 Speaker 5: And do you have any sense on timing when we 394 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 5: potentially could hear something? 395 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, great question, that is I don't. And it's one 396 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,479 Speaker 4: of those things that is driving such uncertainty with with 397 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 4: you know, the industry, because you know, in theory, we 398 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 4: may not know until we get towards twenty twenty seven 399 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 4: or even you know, late twenty six or early twenty seven. 400 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 4: So how do you plan in that environment? I would 401 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 4: actually argue that again, like I said earlier, the private 402 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 4: fleets have been sort of pre buying for the last 403 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 4: two years, and so while on our forecast for this year, 404 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 4: there's actually a little bit of an underbuy given where 405 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,239 Speaker 4: you know, sales and orders are right now, and so 406 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 4: they're sort of giving back some of that pre buy. 407 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 4: We still think there's going to be a little bit 408 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,400 Speaker 4: of pre buying going on next year, because you're still 409 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:02,400 Speaker 4: going to be facing you know, some small I mean 410 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 4: not a not a tiny fraction, but probably thirty or 411 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 4: forty percent of the price increase that they were expecting previously. 412 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: So what is that, So that thirty forty percent of 413 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: the price increase that they expect previously, what is that 414 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,479 Speaker 1: in percentages or dollars for the total increase? 415 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 4: The prior estimates were twenty to twenty five thousand dollars, Okay, yeah, 416 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:25,400 Speaker 4: and so it's going to be you know something probably 417 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 4: around ten I think if if we go this sort 418 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 4: of middle route, and that is enough probably to drive 419 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:37,239 Speaker 4: some pre buy. But the freight industry has been through 420 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 4: a rough couple of years. Profits are under a lot 421 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 4: of pressure. The publicly traded truckload fleet just put up 422 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 4: their lowest margin in fifteen years in the first quarter 423 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 4: and U and so there's not a lot of cash 424 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 4: to pre buy. 425 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: Right and some of the you know, the margins on 426 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 1: the truckload side has been impacted by the use truck market. 427 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 2: What's your outlook on the use truck market. We're going 428 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 2: to see prices increase from here, Yeah, that's. 429 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 4: An interest in question. The used truck market has seen 430 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 4: some very interesting signs of life this year, prerequently at 431 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 4: auction and also on the wholesale side. Not as much 432 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 4: on retail yet, but the auction and wholesale markets tend 433 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 4: to lead retail UH And in our view, the tariffs 434 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 4: and the tariff pricing increases, which you know, like I said, 435 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 4: are probably only two or three percent for new trucks. 436 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 4: If you take a used truck, which is you know, 437 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 4: something like half of the value of the new truck, 438 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 4: the pricing increase actually could be larger in percentage terms 439 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 4: because because a lot of that tariff, if the most 440 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 4: competitive product just went up, you know, by four or 441 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 4: five thousand dollars, I would say a fair proportion of that, 442 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 4: I don't know what the number is, but a fair 443 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 4: proportion of that probably does flow directly through into the 444 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 4: into the used truck market. And that I think is 445 00:24:53,359 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 4: is it's sort of motivating some activity. It's also a 446 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 4: normal part of the cycle for for used truck prices 447 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 4: to start to come up. We've we've had a couple 448 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 4: of very very rough years where we're at all time lows, 449 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:10,719 Speaker 4: and in real terms, it has a percentage of new 450 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 4: truck prices and so so U S trut prices are 451 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 4: at pretty pretty depressed levels and and you know, are 452 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 4: we're not expecting them to come up too much, but 453 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 4: but there's definitely been some uh, some interesting activity in 454 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:23,880 Speaker 4: the last couple of months. 455 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you mentioned that, you know, we've been in 456 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: a freight recession for quite some time. Is that really 457 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 1: what's driving the depressed prices. Yeah, I think so, uh 458 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: for sure. 459 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 4: And it's it's also to some extent, it's it's affected 460 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 4: by by new equipment production. And like I said, new 461 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,679 Speaker 4: equipment production is starting to ramp down a little bit, 462 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 4: so that should have an inverse impact on unused truck prices, 463 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 4: and that that depressed use truct prices has partly been 464 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 4: because new truck production has really been quite strong in 465 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:56,640 Speaker 4: the past couple of years. 466 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 5: Maybe going back to some of the regulatory changes outside 467 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 5: of the EPA twenty twenty seven Knox rules, are there 468 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 5: other regulations that you're watching or that you think are 469 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,359 Speaker 5: really most at risk under this administration or could have 470 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 5: some kind of a you know, material impact on demand 471 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 5: for equipment. 472 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 4: That's a good question. I think the low knox ones 473 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 4: are of course the biggest. The GHG three, frankly, we 474 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 4: had that's sort of the next biggest, But we had, 475 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:30,920 Speaker 4: frankly not really expected much to be enforced there even 476 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,399 Speaker 4: before the election. If you go back to last summer 477 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 4: and the Supreme Court's Chevron rulings, which sort of reduced 478 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,880 Speaker 4: the regulatory power of some of the agencies, it looked 479 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,439 Speaker 4: like GG three was going to be really aggressively contested 480 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 4: under that law, even if the election had had gone 481 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 4: the other way. So frankly, we had never really built 482 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 4: that one into our our forecasting, and we're still not 483 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:03,439 Speaker 4: going to because GC three, well, you know, low doxes 484 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,359 Speaker 4: is a significant change. GC three is is very different 485 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 4: in the way, you know, it does sort of upend 486 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 4: the past forty years or so of a missions regulation 487 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:17,919 Speaker 4: by by being much more aggressive on the carbon reduction 488 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 4: uh and tying that to basically like with vehicle targets 489 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 4: and and that that that was a pretty big change, 490 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 4: and so well, it didn't really change our thinking in 491 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 4: the past, you know a few months when the administration 492 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 4: came out and said that they were going to to 493 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 4: reevaluate that one as well. Yeah, that the likelihood of 494 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 4: that is still pretty low of that being enforced. 495 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: You know, you know, when you're when you're talking about 496 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: you know, lowering emissions, a lot of that's based on 497 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: new technologies that these OEMs develop. We would remiss if 498 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: we you know, we're talking about technology and then started 499 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,120 Speaker 1: talking about evs or autonomous trucking. 500 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 2: Does ACT research have. 501 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 1: Uh, you know, any thoughts on you know, where EV's 502 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 1: are heading or where autonomous trucking h might be going. 503 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 4: Yeah. Absolutely, We've done a number of reports on both topics. 504 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 4: We actually have quarterly EV forecasting going. At this point, 505 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 4: it's you know, it's it's slow going in the heavy 506 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 4: duty markets. You know, there's there's some some decent momentum 507 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 4: in school buses, but you know, demand is you know, 508 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 4: there's still some pockets some private fleets in the heavy 509 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 4: duty market are working pretty hard on it. But but 510 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 4: broadly speaking, especially given the difficult financial conditions in the 511 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 4: trucking industry these days, broadly speaking, you know, electrification, it's 512 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 4: pretty slow going. 513 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 1: Have you guys rained in your your outlook for evs 514 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: because of the new administration, doesn't you know, seem so 515 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: uh focused on emissions or environmental stuff. 516 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, it certainly has had a negative impact. And and 517 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 4: it's also impacted in the shorter term. The effect has 518 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 4: been a lot of the states that were intending to 519 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 4: go along with California in terms of their more aggressive 520 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 4: regulations that do resemble you know, JG three was based 521 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 4: on the Car Advanced Clean Truck rules and there was 522 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 4: a number of states that that we're going to follow 523 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 4: along with California on that, and they have really been 524 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 4: delaying and you know, pushing off their their plans, and 525 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 4: that's had a. 526 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: Negative impact on the outlook, you know, in the short term, right, 527 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: And I guess just pivoting to autonomous trucking. Are the 528 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: robots coming? Are they coming tomorrow? Next week? You know, 529 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: I don't know, two two and twenty two. 530 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, there we go. 531 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 4: It's interesting to learn that there's some out there, and 532 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 4: you know, I heard from a couple of the autonomous 533 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 4: fleets just last week and they are they're making good 534 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 4: progress there has you know, there are some operations, some 535 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 4: are going the off highway route, which I think is 536 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 4: an interesting way to prove the case out. 537 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 2: Can you just explain to listeners what all highway means? 538 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 4: Sure? Uh, you know, Kodiak is the example, and they 539 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 4: are using I believe in oil and gas fleet that's 540 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 4: that's not running on the highways, and and so in 541 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 4: a more private operation. I think that the liabilities are 542 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 4: obviously a lot different than running on the highways, and 543 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 4: so so I think that's avantageous for that type of operation. 544 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 4: I mean, mining trucks have been doing this for for 545 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 4: some time. I think those types of of of applications 546 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 4: for autonomous work really well. But on the highway it's 547 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 4: much different. You know. The most recent news out of 548 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 4: Aurora overs them bringing the drivers back in not as 549 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 4: a driver but as an observer, and in part just 550 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 4: because the manufacturer didn't like one specific detail of I 551 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 4: don't I don't know how the details of it. There's 552 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 4: a whole lot of risk and then yeah, I think 553 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 4: it's going to take a long time to for society 554 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 4: at large to get comfortable with with heavy duty trucks 555 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 4: with no drivers. 556 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: Yeah. I'd say probably least ten years out to see 557 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: them widespread on the highways. 558 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 5: Do you see the autonomous trucks, you know, changing what 559 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 5: the replacement cycle looks like relative to the to the 560 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 5: ice trucks today, does it shorten that replacement period extended? 561 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 5: What are your thoughts about how the replacement cycle could 562 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 5: change as we see some of these new emerging technologies. 563 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a good question. I think the interesting thing 564 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 4: when you talk about in context of alternative power trains 565 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 4: is that electric vehicles are going to require, you know, 566 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 4: a lot of time to recharge, and autonomous vehicles you're 567 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 4: gonna want to run twenty four hours a day if 568 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 4: you can, and you know they should be able to essentially, 569 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 4: so in general, the idea is that they could run, 570 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 4: you know, two or three times as many miles as 571 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:59,479 Speaker 4: your typical truck, which you know would burn them out 572 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 4: a lot fast. And so you could see at the 573 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 4: same time, if if they are running two or three, 574 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 4: you know, two or three times as much, you would 575 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 4: need fewer trucks to haul the same amount of freight, 576 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 4: and so you'd go through a couple of different iterations. 577 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 4: I think of the fleet sort of expanding and contracting, 578 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 4: But at the end of the day, fundamentally you'd end 579 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 4: up in the very long run at the same level production. 580 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 5: And how do you see this whole technology or energy 581 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 5: transition playing out? Does does battery electric, wind? Does fuel cell? 582 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 5: Is it hydrogen combustion? Is there one dominant fuel source 583 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 5: moving forward or do we see kind of a combination 584 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 5: of everything. 585 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 4: That's a good question. I think our NG needs to 586 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 4: be part of the discussion natural gases is it's not 587 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 4: zero emission for sure, but our NG is negative emission, 588 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 4: So so that that's definitely something that is out there 589 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 4: and working and gaining more and more you know, traction 590 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 4: in the industry year and there you know, it went 591 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 4: through a rough start, you know, going back fifteen years 592 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 4: ago or so, but there they finally do have the 593 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 4: right equipment from an engine technology perspective. Uh And and 594 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 4: so I think that's that is, you know, a contender 595 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 4: in terms of emission introduction. But you know next up 596 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 4: is certainly EBS. We would put you know, hydrogen based 597 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 4: stuff much much lower on the list just because of 598 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 4: the costs. 599 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:27,480 Speaker 1: And I guess you know, a lot of that's, like 600 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: I said, is based on where the frame markets are going. 601 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: You seem pretty uh, you know, you're kind of a 602 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: temp at outlook Uh, when when do you guys think 603 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,240 Speaker 1: that things are going to turn Yeah? 604 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 4: Good question. 605 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 6: So I actually think the most of the the negative 606 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 6: effects of the recent tariffs aren't really likely to hit 607 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 6: until the fourth quarter of this year and the first 608 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 6: quarter next year. 609 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 4: It's it's sort of where I put sort of the 610 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 4: the worst of them because you're going to get a 611 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 4: pretty good surge here in Q three. Uh, because of 612 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 4: this on again, off again ninety day type of planning cycle. 613 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 2: Right, gotcha. 614 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 1: So just you know, changing changing gears a little bit. 615 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:13,359 Speaker 1: How did you get involved in transports? 616 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 2: What? 617 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:13,839 Speaker 4: What? 618 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,759 Speaker 1: What brought you to the the fine world of transportation? 619 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:22,240 Speaker 4: You know, this goes back to our days, going back 620 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,080 Speaker 4: over you know, two decades ago to to to the 621 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 4: Prudential Equity Group. Well, I believe it was it was 622 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,800 Speaker 4: you on the transportation team. Back then I was covering 623 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:34,800 Speaker 4: the auto industry and the US economy. But after leaving 624 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 4: you know, Prudential, I went to bear Stearns where I 625 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:41,839 Speaker 4: joined an analyst named ed Wolf who was the top 626 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,560 Speaker 4: ranked transportation analyst on on the South Side at the time. 627 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,279 Speaker 4: And and uh, it was a great men mentor for 628 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 4: me for the next seven years and two years after 629 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 4: the after joining Ed bear Stearns and JP Morgan merged 630 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:59,000 Speaker 4: UH and I was one of the founding members of 631 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 4: Wolf Research UH soon thereafter. And Wolf Research is still 632 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:09,719 Speaker 4: a really wonderfully performing boutique equity research firm right there 633 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:11,319 Speaker 4: in the New York area, close to you. 634 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:12,399 Speaker 2: Gotcha, yeap. 635 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:16,879 Speaker 1: Wolf Research does really good good work on transports. And 636 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: you know, I like to ask a lot of my guests, 637 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: is there a book that you've read, whether it's on 638 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 1: transportation or research or you know, management, that's kind of 639 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: close to your heart, that that that you like. 640 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 4: It's a good It's an interesting question. I look at 641 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:32,799 Speaker 4: my bookshelf and I have to point out I have 642 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 4: to say thinking fast and Slow. I don't know if 643 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:39,759 Speaker 4: that's that's been chosen before, but Dan Canneman, it's not 644 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:43,960 Speaker 4: particularly you know, helpful for for freight, but I think 645 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:47,239 Speaker 4: it's extremely helpful and understanding sort of how we view 646 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 4: the world, which is, you know, subject to to several biases. 647 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 4: You know, we're constantly trying to latch op the short 648 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 4: term data to understand longer term trends and stuff like 649 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,760 Speaker 4: that in our business. So I think understanding those biases 650 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 4: really helps Iron those out of our forecasting. I use 651 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 4: that a lot. 652 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:05,719 Speaker 1: Great well, Tim, I really want to thank you for 653 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 1: your time and your insights. 654 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 2: It was good catching up with you. 655 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,839 Speaker 1: We got to do this again, maybe maybe a little 656 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: less time than twenty some ideas. 657 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,680 Speaker 4: I think that would be great, and those are going 658 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 4: to be changing quite a bit in the days and 659 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 4: weeks and months to come, so I think we'll have 660 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 4: a lot more to talk about. 661 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:27,439 Speaker 1: We'd love to hear Ax's outlook for twenty twenty six 662 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: and twenty twenty seven, you know, early next year sounds great, 663 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:33,480 Speaker 1: And Chris, I want to thank you for joining me today. 664 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:36,280 Speaker 5: Thanks Lee, it was a pleasure, and thank you Tim. 665 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:38,880 Speaker 1: Also, I want to thank you for tuning in. If 666 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: you liked the episode, please subscribe and leave a review. 667 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,280 Speaker 1: We've lined up a number of great guests for the podcast, 668 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: so check back to hear conversations with C suite executives, shippers, regulators, 669 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,919 Speaker 1: and decision makers within the freight markets. Also, if you'd 670 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,080 Speaker 1: like to learn more about the freight transportation markets, check 671 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: our work on the Bloomberg Terminal at Bigo or on 672 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 1: social media. This is Lee Klasgal signing off and thanks 673 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: for talking transports with me,