United States rail carload and intermodal volumes were again mixed for the week ending February 13, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Archive for the ‘FOOD & BEVERAGE’ Category
The sights at Secure Rail 2016
The second annual Secure Rail conference drew more than 100 people to Orlando, Fla., last week. Held Feb. 9-10 and organized by Progressive Railroading, the event addressed physical and cyber security in the North American rail industry. For a look inside the event, follow this link to view a slideshow of conference highlights.
High inventories, weak manufacturing spark fears of freight recession
Mentions of a recession-like environment from top transportation executives and lackluster growth in domestic and international freight volumes are sparking fears that a U.S. freight recession is upon us that could be a harbinger of something even worse: an outright economic recession. (This article requires registration at the Journal of Commerce. To access, please click […]
US business stockpiles rise in December, but sales fall
U.S. businesses boosted their stockpiles slightly in December, as sales dropped sharply. This combination has stoked anxieties about weakening economic growth, as sales over the entire year dropped for the first time since the Great Recession.
As truck driver turnover rises, so does driver pay
The battle to recruit and keep truck drivers is heating up. As unemployment levels drop and driver pay and benefits increase, the number of drivers who move from carrier to carrier is rising. To compensate, trucking companies continue to increase pay. Carriers are moving beyond general pay increases to target specific areas, such as detention […]
Intermodal Freight Growth Strong Last Year
Despite network congestion and economic headwinds, intermodal freight saw solid growth in 2015, but the level of freight was barely up in the final quarter, according to the Intermodal Association of North America.
Diesel Prices Slide Further While Oil Production Remains High
The average price of diesel fuel continued to fall last week amidst reports that global crude oil production would not be cut to meet lower demand, according to the latest numbers from the Energy Department.
Giant makes big on-demand delivery move
Giant Food is joining the trend of retailers making online deliveries to places beyond consumer homes. The Peapod by Giant online delivery service is now allowing Washington, D.C.-area shoppers to place their orders online and pick them up at one of three Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) stations: Fort Totten, Glenmont and Vienna.
U.S. Budget Deficit to Widen for First Time Since 2009
Last month’s frenzy of deal-making by Congress and the White House on spending and taxes will send deficits widening this year for the first time since 2009, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday. Deficits will also widen because economic growth has been lower than expected, tamping down forecasts for how much revenue the government will […]
Trans-Pacific rates inch up, but post-Chinese New Year rate slump looms
Spot freight rates on the Asia-U.S. trades held their ground this week, actually rising slightly and ensuring most of the sharp gains made in the Jan. 1 rate increase were retained for the rest of the month. The Shanghai-U.S. East Coast spot rate rose 2 percent to $2,466 per 40-foot container, while on the trans-Pacific […]