Truck tonnage declined in September, though it remains ahead of last year, reports the American Trucking Associations. “Tonnage gave back some of the solid gain in August, but remains at very high levels despite the weather-related issues during the month,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Going forward, rebuilding from those hurricanes and other natural […]
The supply of trucks available to transport steel is tightening, more so because of a man-made state of affairs than the recent natural disasters. “The storms didn’t help, but they are not the big driver. It’s getting into compliance with the new ELD regulations,” said a service center executive in the Southeast. “The hurricanes have […]
Seaborne shipping is getting a much needed rise in rates. Freight rates are gaining strength following two years of historic lows, says MID-SHIP report. The Baltic Dry index, a benchmark for overall trade volume, rose to 1470 on Sept. 21 for its highest level in two years. MID-SHIP expects the BDI to approach 2000 in […]
Steel imports are on the rise this year at ports on the Gulf and West Coast. Steel imports to the U.S. are expected to reach 39,812,592 net tons this year, an 18.6 percent increase from 2016. Port of Houston is a major hub for steel imports with 2.05 million tons of steel passing through the […]
Hurricane Harvey outdid Irma in terms of supply chain disruption, according to John Kent, director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas. Irma skirted the east coast of Florida, focusing more on the West and causing minimal impact to major ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Harvey took out not […]
Back-to-back hurricanes disrupted trucking in the South, and the effects are expected to linger as the region competes for truck capacity to rebuild damaged homes and infrastructure. The American Transportation Research Institute uses GPS to track movement of over 700,000 trucks in the U.S. Hurricane Harvey hit international and east/west commerce hard as Houston is […]
Hurricane related delays continue to frustrate shipping on the Gulf Coast and now on the Eastern Seaboard from Florida to the Carolinas. Port closures, rail delays, truck shortages, and flooded roadways and rail systems are affecting all modes of freight transportation. Seaborne Freight The freight market gained steam in July and since then rates have […]
The chaos to commerce continues in the Houston area as a result of flooding and damage from Hurricane Harvey. Texas Governor Gregg Abbot estimates damage to the area will be in the range of $150 billion to $180 billion. A quick survey of steel service centers and distribution centers in the area found that many […]
Shipping complaints about CSX Transportation have prompted the Surface Transportation Board to write to CSX President and CEO E. Hunter Harrison to express their concerns. According to the Board, shippers are complaining that CSX rail service deteriorated markedly in second-quarter 2017, coinciding with significant operational changes at the company. The Board received a number of […]
All facilities at the Port of Houston are still closed as of Thursday, Aug. 31, following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. The Coast Guard has cleared ports in the area for restricted vessel access for ships waiting offshore. Drafts cannot exceed 33 feet at the ports of Texas City, Galveston and Freeport, and no more […]
Trucks needed to haul steel and other materials are in short supply and availability is likely to get tighter later this year when drivers will be required to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) rather than hand-written logs to record their hours behind the wheel. The American Trucking Associations estimate that the new ELD requirement, which […]
Steel imports are higher this year than 2016, but still below levels of 2015, according to ports on the West and Gulf Coasts. The Port of New Orleans has seen imports increase slightly over a year ago. In the first six months of 2016, imports rose to 1,186,630 tons from 1,179,037 tons in the same […]
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union ratified a three-year contract extension with the Pacific Maritime Association last week that will help ensure smooth port operations through 2022. The contract covers roughly 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports in California, Oregon and Washington. The current agreement was set to expire on July 1, 2019; the newly […]
Ships, barges, trains and trucks move the nation’s cargo. Here is this month’s look at shipping conditions by various modes. Seaborne Freight Rates have dropped in the dry bulk market recently, but may now be plateauing, according to the latest report by MID-SHIP Group. Fleet expansion was strong during the first half of 2017, growing […]
Flatbed trucks are generally first choice to move steel products from mills to distribution centers to manufacturing clients. What determines what freights will be for this workhorse of the steel industry? Freight costs are influenced by fuel costs, weather, seasonal demand, historical costs, and load-to-truck ratios. Flatbed rates are particularly vulnerable to weather conditions in […]
A look by Steel Market Update at shipping conditions… Seaborne Freight Rates have eased in all four of the major shipping segments (cape, panama, Supramax and handy) in second quarter, according to April’s MID-SHIP Report. Rates are expected to continue to ease throughout this month creating a potential early summer slump. Coal and steel raw […]
Freight shipment on the seas, rivers, rails and by truck moved without many complications in the past few weeks. The seaborne freight market spot rates are recovering and foreign steel industries are boosting cargos of coal and iron ore. Spot rates have caught up with demand for the trucking industry and rail traffic was up. […]
There has been a lot of talk about infrastructure spending but not much in the way of actual spending or commitment to projects. Two members of the American Trucking Association told Congress on Tuesday that there is a real need for investment in the nation’s highway system. FedEx Freight President and CEO Mike Ducker and […]
The dry bulk freight market is through with its cyclic low and is headed toward a positive market, according to the latest MID-SHIP Report. MID-SHIP noted that Baltic Dry Index on March 29 was 1338, its highest rate since November 2014. As of today, April 4, the BDI has dropped to 1282. The shipping market […]
The shipping season opened on the Great Lakes this month. In general, freight shipments within the U.S. are moving without complications in March. Rate increases have been noted for most seaborne freight with the Baltic Dry Index approaching highs last seen in November 2016. Seaborne Freight The Panama Canal continues to break monthly records for […]
Freight shipment by various transportation modes seems to be moving fairly well as February winds down. Seaborne freight is improving and barge traffic is resuming normal operations after the winter. Trucking saw some seasonal slowdown after the holidays and rail traffic was up year over year in recent weeks. The Association of American Railroads welcomed […]
As January comes to a close there have been plenty of changes in the U.S. with the new administration taking office and a flurry of cabinet nominations and trade decisions that could affect shipping in the U.S. and globally. Wilbur Ross is slated by the new president to lead the Department of Commerce, Robert Lighthizer […]
Shipping wound down for 2016 with mixed reports. Seaborne rates hit bottom and began an upward climb. U.S. river traffic was sluggish due to holidays and weather. U.S. rail volume, down overall for 2016, picked up in the final week of December. U.S. truck rates increased and shipping volume surged due to holiday delivery and […]
Early December logistic reports show no major problems in the shipping markets. Shipments on most transportation modes are expected to slow as the holiday season approaches. A new Secretary of Transportation has been appointed by President-elect Donald Trump. Elaine Cho, former Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush and Deputy Secretary of Transportation under […]
The dry-bulk market continued its advance through November, reaching a reading of 1000 for the Baltic Dry Index on November 11 and jumping to 1231 on November 17. As a reference point the BDI was at 849 at the beginning of the month (Nov. 3). The BDI tracks dry-bulk rates based on vessel size and […]
As we begin November and head into the winter season, SMU took a quick look at shipping conditions in the various transportation modes. Seaborne Stabilizing global steel prices and an increase in Chinese coal imports have helped seaborne freight rates rebound from their lows of early 2016. Vessel overcapacity continues to make any improvement in […]
With the end of October at hand, it is time for SMU to take another look at shipping conditions around the U.S. Seaborne MID-SHIP is seeing improvement in freight rates and fuel prices and an increase in period chartering activity for seaborne cargo. A surge in coal pricing in the past few weeks has resulted […]
Freight reports are mixed for August and September. Seaborne freight is seeing a resurgence in volume and pricing while U.S. truck, rail and river freight has been somewhat weak. August was reported as a good month for cargo shipments on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Seaborne An increase in China demand for coking […]
U.S. ports contacted by Steel Market Update report steel imports are beginning to increase in recent months after dropping in the first half of the year. Port of Houston Authority reports that steel imports were down 59 percent through August 2016 for a total of 1.56 million tons. Steel exports also plunged by 45 percent […]
MID-SHIP Group expressed optimism in its first report of the fall season. The Sept. 8 MID-SHIP Report said the group is “cautiously optimistic” about better dry bulk shipping demand in the second half of 2016. Oversupply of vessels continues to be a problem but as the seasonal grain shipments begin late in September demand should […]