U.S. rail traffic on a weekly basis was mixed for the week that ended last Saturday, according to the Association of American Railroads. Intermodal volumes were up but carloads were down. The U.S. freight railroads originated 294,144 intermodal containers and trailers last week, a 5.5% increase from the same period in 2019. But carloads were […]
No one predicted a U.S. import surge in the middle of a pandemic — but it’s happening. The big question now is: How long can this last? The answer has key implications for ocean spot freight rates and contract renewals, port throughput, and landside volumes for trucking and rail. Investment bank Jefferies issued an exceptionally […]
Our Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) is calculated on a seven-day moving average basis to smooth out daily volatility. Due to this, the index is distorted for the week following a national holiday, like Labor Day. This renders weekly comparisons near meaningless this week. In a continuation from last week, the accepted tender volume level […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Sept. 18 extended its waiver that allows truck drivers to operate with an expired commercial driver’s license, commercial learner’s permit or medical certification that expired on or after March 1, 2020. The extension is effective through Dec. 31. The agency previously extended the waiver through Sept. 30. States, […]
Beta made landfall along the central Texas coast overnight. As of early Tuesday, it was centered just east of Victoria, Texas, producing sustained winds of 40 mph. Monday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard placed the Port of Corpus Christi under port condition Zulu. This means inbound and outbound traffic has been suspended. The ports of […]
Beta is spinning over the western Gulf of Mexico, drifting toward Texas. It will probably make landfall near the San Antonio Bay, Texas, area Monday night. With prolonged rainfall and storm surge in the forecast, some ports in Texas have already closed. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, these ports are Houston, Freeport, Victoria, Galveston […]
The industry is starting to see a significant uptick in intermodal originations out in Southern California and Western Canada. In a recent Journal of Commerce (JOC) article, CN President and CEO JJ Ruest noted that his railroad is returning furloughed labor (and by association that should include assets that may have been on storage, or […]
The Port of Los Angeles had its best month ever in August, but Executive Director Gene Seroka wasn’t sipping champagne during Tuesday’s press conference on volumes. “One month or even one quarter does not make a trend,” Seroka said. “Despite this import surge that we’re seeing, the U.S. economy and global trade face significant challenges. […]
The average national spot rate for intermodal shipments by rail have increased 58% since early June, or $0.79/mile. The normally rational intermodal market, a safe haven for many shippers, has succumbed to the pressure of the surging freight volumes arriving on the West Coast. What is more impressive than the absolute rate, which is the […]
As was the case in July, August intermodal volumes mostly saw sequential gains, while year-to-date volumes, through August, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, were largely down, according to data provided to LM by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA). Total August shipments—at 1,575,928—were off 2.7% annually. Domestic containers—at 695,999—were up 4.4%, while trailers—at 108,901—were up 3.2%. […]
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