Cargo shipments on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway were impacted during the coronavirus pandemic, with ports seeing lower volumes. Tonnage on the St. Lawrence Seaway was down 10 percent year over year in the period from March 15 through May 31 to 7.7 million metric tons, said the Marine Chamber of Commerce. “Road […]
The trucking industry lost more than 88,000 jobs in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 6.2 percent year-over-year decline. “Job losses in the U.S. trucking industry in April were not as deep as in the broader economy, but they were substantial nonetheless, wiping out four years of trucking employment growth in […]
The U.S. trucking industry could be facing the worst second quarter on record, says FTR after analysis of the latest Trucking Conditions Index. Steep drops in freight volume and declining utilization rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic will create challenging conditions through this year and into next. “Although trucking conditions might prove to be comparable […]
The COVID-19 crisis caused a spike in truck rates in March as vans and reefers worked to replenish retail stocks and move essential supplies. DAT Trendlines said rates are likely to fall in the coming weeks, however, as fewer load postings occur. Van and reefer rates are expected to stay elevated, whereas flatbed rates and […]
The Great Lakes shipping season officially began yesterday with passage of the upbound freighter H. Lee White through the Soo Locks . “Right on time, at one minute past midnight, the lower gates of the Poe Lock opened and the H. Lee White made its way into the lock, officially opening the 2020 navigation season […]
High water levels on Lake Ontario have pushed back the Great Lakes international shipping season until April 1 from the previously scheduled opening on March 20. Water from Lake Ontario passing through the Moses-Saunders hydroelectric dam has increased current velocity on the St. Lawrence Seaway making it unsafe for commercial shipping. The International Lake Ontario–St. […]
U.S. ports are canceling shifts and closing terminals due to shipping disruption stemming from coronavirus-related production cuts in China. The largest impact is on West Coast ports that serve as primary shipping destinations for Chinese imports. More than half of the volume at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach originates from China. Container […]
Steel prices declined significantly in 2019—not good for steel producers and distributors or for the trucking companies that deliver their products, said Jim Berg, president of Jim Berg Trucking, in remarks last week at the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Trucking is a highly fragmented market, dominated by small companies […]
For-Hire Truck Tonnage rose 0.1 percent in January to 117.4. The January increase follows a 0.5 percent increase in December, reports the American Trucking Association. “Over the last two months, the tonnage index has increased 0.6 percent, which is obviously good news” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “However, after our annual revision, it is […]
The Port of Cleveland saw a significant decline in imports from Europe in 2019 due to tariffs and supply line disruptions. An increase in shipments from Canada, however, drove a 9 percent overall increase in cargo for the year. “Our European, cross-Atlantic imports were down approximately 35 percent, and our primary import from Europe is […]
The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, a quarterly analysis of freight volumes and spending, fell 4.0 percent in the fourth quarter after gaining a total of 10 percent in the second and third quarters. Both volumes and spending dropped during the quarter due to weaker economic activity and impacts from the international trade market. The […]
The trucking industry reported a “choppy” year for truck tonnage. The American Trucking Association’s advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased for the 10th year in 2019, but at only half the gain realized in 2018. The index was up 3.3 percent compared to 6.7 percent in 2018. The SA December Index rose 4.0 […]
The International Chamber of Commerce’s new 2020 Incoterms took effect on Jan. 1. Incoterms stands for “international commercial terms,” the essential terms buyers and sellers use when making transactions around the world. Common acronyms like FOB (Free on Board) or DAP (Delivered at Place) are standardized terminology that helps to facilitate the import and export […]
Another shipping season on the Great Lakes is drawing to a close. Lake carriers are busy moving coal and ore to steel mills in the region to build stocks for the winter before heavy ice overtakes the lakes. The Soo Locks and St. Lawrence Seaway are scheduled to close for the season on Jan. 15. […]
A tentative deal between the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and Canadian National Railway will bring an end to a weeklong strike by 3,200 conductors and railyard workers. CN said workers will return to work beginning on Tuesday and normal operations should resume by Wednesday morning. Details of the agreement will not be available until members have […]
A strike by 3,200 Teamster union employees at Canadian National Railway is causing disruption in both Canada and the U.S. Now in its sixth day, with no end in sight, a shortage of propane is imminent for Ontario and Quebec as well as delays to shipping across the manufacturing industry. CN transports more than CAD […]
Four U.S. railroad companies have been accused of price-fixing by more than two dozen companies including steel producers AK Steel and North Star Bluescope. On Sept. 30, more than two dozen lawsuits were filed against BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific claiming the rail carriers conspired to set rate-based fuel surcharges that increased rates […]
The trucking barometer is not pointing toward a recession, says the American Trucking Association, citing its latest For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index. The August index declined 3.2 percent to a reading of 118.3 after climbing 6.2 percent in July. Compared to a year ago, the seasonally adjusted index was up 4.1 percent and gained 4.3 percent […]
Hurricanes are a yearly occurrence for the southern U.S., taking huge tolls on property and lives and causing major disruption for the shipping industry. Hurricane Dorian, still churning its way up the East Coast, is the latest example. In preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Florida manufacturers rushed to get goods shipped North and out of flood […]
The trucking and railroad industry shared a stage on Monday at the SMU Steel Summit. James Burg, president of James Burg Trucking Company, and Jim Schaaf, group vice president of metals and construction at Norfolk Southern, talked about the challenges facing their industries. Trucking Tribulations The trucking industry employs approximately 7.3 million people, 3.9 million […]
Canadian ports in the Pacific Northwest have benefited from the U.S. trade war with China. Vancouver and Prince Rupert have seen combined market share for regional imports and exports increase from 59 percent in 2014 to 62.3 percent in the first half of 2019, according to JOC.com. The port at Seattle-Tacoma saw exports from the […]
Truckload volumes were a disappointment in May, said DAT Solutions in their monthly report. Truckload volumes for van trailers, which haul about 70 percent of all truckload freight, declined 12 percent from April and were down 10 percent year-over year. Volume for flatbed trucks that haul steel, heavy machinery and construction material declined 9.3 percent […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking comments on a potential trial program that would allow drivers age 18 to 20 to operate commercial vehicles for interstate commerce. The FMCSA already has a pilot program for former military drivers under the age of 21 and expanding the program would increase the potential labor pool […]
Youngstown flatbed trucking company Falcon Transport announced it is ceasing operations immediately. The estimated 550 employees of the 114 year old company received emails or text messages on Saturday night that Falcon Transport is no longer in business. Drivers and office staff were sent the following note: “All Falcon Employees: We regret to inform you […]
Interlake Steamship Company has partnered with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to build the first U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier in more than 35 years. “It’s being built with a lot of steel from Great Lakes steel mills to carry the products that help to do just that,” said Interlake Steamship President Mark Barker in remarks to […]
What could you do with 42 hours? That is how long the average commuter sits in traffic each year due to the deteriorating state of our nation’s roads and bridges, says the American Trucking Association. ATA has launched a new media and advocacy campaign that highlights the personal toll our failing infrastructure has on our […]
The U.S. Coast Guard commenced ice breaking on the lower St. Mary’s River last week in preparation for the 2019 Great Lakes shipping season and opening of the Soo Locks on March 25. The USCG will begin ice breaking operations in Sturgeon Bay on Friday. A tug and barge docked in Cleveland on Tuesday, ahead […]
The Soo Locks are scheduled to reopen on March 25 to begin the new shipping season on the Great Lakes. The last vessel through the locks was the Canadian bulk-carrier Manitoulin headed for Essar Steel on Jan. 15. The locks are currently closed for maintenance prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. During the […]
U.S. ports reported a record year for cargo volume in 2018. The Port of Los Angeles broke its all-time cargo record for the third time in a row, moving 9,458,749 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units the size of a container), a 1.2 percent increase from 2017. The Port of New Orleans reported a new record and a […]
Truckload capacity eased following the holidays, reducing average rates for dry van, reefers and flatbed trucks. DAT Trendlines reports the national load-to-truck ratio fell from 33.7 to 25.1 loads per truck in the week Jan. 6 through Jan. 12. Flatbed rates came down four cents to a national average rate of $2.42 per mile during […]