Last year was the trailer industry’s best shipment year in history, edging out the previous record set in 1999, according to an ACT Research report. Despite slower trailer orders in December, which fell 31% month-to-month and 38% year-over-year, ACT also believes the solid trailer-order trend will continue, though volume may not reach last year’s levels.
Category Archives: CHEMICAL
The acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration told a Senate panel that the mandated study of the effectiveness of the agency’s Carrier Safety Accountability scoring program is slated to begin next month.
U.S. railroads logged 242,670 carloads, down 16.6 percent, while intermodal volumes edged up 1.1 percent for the second week of 2016, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). For the week ending Jan. 16, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 506,433 carloads and intermodal units, down 8.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Despite the many peaks and valleys freight flows saw in 2015, one mode that collectively saw more of the former was intermodal. That was especially clear in December and full-year 2015 volumes from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).
Spot truckload freight activity increased sharply during the first full week of 2016, as rates also improved or held steady – while a separate report shows December was better than the month before.
According to the freight matching service provider DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT network of load boards, despite a 2-cent decline in the average fuel surcharge, national average rates rose for vans and reefers last week while flatbed rates were unchanged.
Just as Class I railroads announce service has finally recovered to 2013 levels, harsh winter weather is testing their improved train speeds and dwell times. A winter storm swept across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast early this week, blizzard-like wind and snow creating near white-out conditions Tuesday.
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Trade and transport analysts see a negative market outlook worsen, though some contend that this trend could be reversed later in the year. Meanwhile, logistics managers should brace for a volatile period of rate fluctuation.
Diesel fuel prices dropping nearly 6 cents a gallon in the Rocky Mountain states last week, and with smaller declines seen in all of the other regions of the nation, plenty of smiles could be seen on truck drivers’ faces at truck stops throughout the U.S.
The average per-gallon price for a gallon of diesel fuel dropped 3.4 cents to $2.177, a figure that is more than 87 cents per gallon less expensive than a year ago last week.
Despite month-to-month variations, third quarter intermodal freight traffic growth of 3.4% was in line with year-to-date results, according to new figures from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).
GE has delivered more than 500 Evolution Series Tier 4 compliant locomotives to North American customers along with its auto-pilot controls system for railroads called Trip Optimizer. The technology being developed by GE Transportation helps the rail industry optimize networks, minimize downtime and reduce operating costs, the company says.