Coinciding with the upswing in the world economy two years ago, global seaborne trade is doing well, note analysts for the Geneva-based United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). They also observe that containerized shipping expanded by 4% in 2018-the fastest growth in five years.
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for 2018 showing that demand (revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose by a healthy 6.5%, whilst air freight grew by 3.5% (both compared to full-year 2017).
Class I’s grew their carloads and intermodal loads in 2018 on a year-over-year basis. Their traffic-building efforts helped U.S. intermodal volume set an annual record for the fifth time in the past six years. The large roads marked a key volume assist from their logistics services, which run the gamut from transloading to warehousing to freight forwarding. Each Class I operates a logistics subsidiary or ancillary services unit, or is affiliated with a logistics service provider.
Passing a permanent extension of the 45G short-line tax credit. Maintaining existing truck size and weight restrictions. Introducing a comprehensive infrastructure package that includes funding priority for freight and passenger rail. Shoring up the federal Highway Trust Fund. Continuing existing “balanced” regulations for freight railroads.
“Relentless competition” and widespread urbanization are two of the top trends that will reshape trucking and logistics in the US and elsewhere as e-commerce expectations set by Amazon and its customers challenge traditional delivery strategies and processes, speakers at the SMC3Jumpstart 2019 Conference in Atlanta said Jan. 28-30.
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The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 9, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 519,779 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending February 9 were 242,266 carloads, down 3.3 percent compared with the same week in 2018, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 277,513 containers and trailers, up 3.4 percent compared to 2018.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted reprieve from hours-of-service rules to one group and received an exemption request from the rules from another.
Nearly seven weeks into 2019, the contour of the US trucking landscape is becoming somewhat clearer. Truck capacity generally should be less tight this year than in 2018, but shippers shouldn’t expect another 2016, when excess capacity was the rule, rather than the exception. (This article requires a subscription to the Journal of Commerce. To subscribe, please click on the above link.)
Oil sank for a second straight day as service-sector orders fed worries about the economy and traders received another report of booming U.S. crude supplies.
The trade war between the United States and China has caused major disruptions for global businesses – but it may also bring benefits for some. Companies in Europe, Mexico, Japan and Canada could add tens of billions of dollars in export orders if the conflict drags on, according to a study released this week by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.