After a three-week lull, prices for air exports from China have turned noticeably upward, a trend most international trade professionals expect will continue through the end of the year as the traditional peak shipping season overlaps with high demand for coronavirus medical supplies and online retail orders, and major product releases from big tech companies. […]
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August “Fifth Best Intermodal Month Ever”: AAR
In reporting U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 29, 2020, as well as volumes for August 2020, Association of American Railroads Senior Vice President Policy and Economics John T. Gray emphasized the importance that railroads have in moving consumer goods, as indicated by the ongoing recovery in intermodal loadings. “Despite the pandemic and […]
Trucking Surges as Capacity Tightens Amid Continued Pandemic
More than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic the trucking industry’s health is stronger than the U.S. economy, as segments used in final-mile delivery, e-commerce, and deliveries to grocery stores and hospitals thrive. But the latest government reports show an economy continuing to struggle to recover amid a surge in the federal deficit and stubbornly […]
U.S. railroads registered intermodal volume gain in August
Although U.S. rail traffic declined 5.8 percent in August compared with the same month a year ago, total intermodal volume rose 3 percent to 1,122,954 containers and trailers, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. U.S. railroads logged 898,227 carloads last month, down 14.9 percent from August 2019, while total combined volume fell to […]
3PLs prepare to catch Damco shippers jumping ship
A.P. Moller-Maersk’s (OTCMKTS: AMKBY) announcement earlier this week that it will integrate the air cargo and less-than-container-load (LCL) services of its subsidiary Damco into the Maersk brand has some customers checking their options. Shippers remain unclear how the absorption of Damco into Maersk will impact their overall logistics contracts with the longtime third-party logistics services […]
Outbound tender volumes continue to push higher
The Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) climbed another 1.4% this week to a new all-time high of 16,053. OTVI has posted a string of consecutive all-time highs for many weeks now. It is important to note that OTVI does include rejected contract load tenders, so the true organic growth of load volumes is significantly lower […]
Ports Say Business Beginning to Recover
The nation’s ports are seeing some improvement in business, compared with spring, even as the U.S. economy continues to struggle amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The uptick comes as officials at three California ports — Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland — report operations at their facilities have been spared by the wildfires, which have killed […]
Flash flood threat keeps trucking across the Plains
Periods of torrential rainfall will continue to drench parts of the nation’s heartland over the next couple of days. Carriers and shippers alike should expect some minor delays as drivers deal with slowdowns and potential road closures. The National Weather Service (NWS) has already reported areas of flash flooding from just south of Oklahoma […]
Truckers seek $1.8B from ocean carriers for alleged chassis overcharges
The American trucking industry has filed a cease-and-desist request with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) over what it says are ocean container carriers distorting the cost of chassis usage. The American Trucking Associations’ Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference (IMCC) filed the complaintagainst the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association (OCEMA) and 10 of its ocean carrier […]
Air Cargo Market Report: China rate rebound takes a breather
Airfreight rates to the U.S. plateaued in mid-August after rising for more than a month, influenced by a drop in demand from South China and passenger airlines temporarily adding more capacity. Still, finding affordable air transport in Southeast Asia, writ large, is difficult. The dip freight activity isn’t expected to last long as retailers gin […]