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).
Category Archives: CONSUMER GOODS
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.
Wal-Mart is closing 269 stores, more than half of them in the U.S. and another big chunk in its challenging Brazilian market. The stores being shuttered account for a fraction of the company’s 11,000 stores worldwide and less than 1 percent of its global revenue.
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).
FedEx Corp. is raising its fuel surcharge for the second time this year, jolting e-commerce companies, retailers and other shippers with price increases just as they gear up for the make-or-break holiday sales season. (This article required a subscription with The Wall Street Journal. To access, please click on the above link.)
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.
Less-than-truckload and transit technology services provider SMC3 said it has acquired Transportation Costing Group (TCG), a provider of activity-based cost modeling software and other profitability management tools for LTL and truckload shippers.