Ebbie, my post was in reference to hauling freight Chicago to LA, and my figures are right. BNSF express freight to LA takes 7 days from shipper to receiver.

I know to the uninitiated it would seem like non perishable items are not time sensitive, but everything in trucking these days is.

In the late 80's and early 90's businesses started going to JIT(just in time) freight. They do this so they don't have to maintain inventories of products. They try to time things so the truck gets there with the new ingredients just as they are running out of the last batch.

One place I delivered to several years ago ordered a truckload of ingredient when they get to the last pallet in their warehouse. The only problem is that pallet only lasts them 4 days, and the new truckload had to go from LA to Minneapolis in January. If the truck don't show the whole plant shuts down.

Not a good way to run a business IMO, but it has become the industry standard.

Trucking companies and carrier organisations have been trying to get it changed, but thanks to Reagan's deregulation of the industry, any govt entity that had some control over such things no longer exist.

By the way, I just went thru my 4th divorce. It ain't a very good way to make a living for humans, but hell, we're just truck drivers.

There have been some companies trying to do some restructuring like you suggested, but a trip from San Diego to Maine is around 3800 miles and would therefore require at least 5 trucks over the road and 1 local truck on each end. That comes to about $800,000 in equipment plus drivers, plus terminal facilities for each leg of the trip.
Roadway, Yellow and ABF work this way on less than truckload stuff, but they are going broke doing it.

Some of the larger truckload carriers were trying it, but they have recently cancelled regional runs due to the cost.

Companies that order product by the trainload, or even 1 boxcar load save money by shipping by rail, but everything else has to go by truck.

BTW, a recent study showed ton/mile per gallon efficiency for shipment methods. River barges are the most efficient, followed by rail quite a ways back, with trucks a close third.

The study didn't include the trucks required to get from the barge or train to final destination though.

The other two work great if you live on the side of the track or river but otherwise, "if you got it, a truck brought it".

BHSC