Intermodal

Multi-modal data and channel checks with freight brokers point to a good setup for peak season.

But Japan’s biggest shipping line looks to restart Long Beach service after summer hiatus.

Third-party logistics provider aims to grow presence in its West Coast markets.

U.S. rail carloads no longer appear to be following the lead of broader economic indicators. Why? Look to concerns about rail service reliability and trade uncertainty as answers.

Barbara Spector Yeninas had the moxie to launch a business serving the male-dominated maritime industry 45 years ago. That determination has kept her going for more than four decades, although these days she’s wearing sneakers instead of stilettos.

Canadian government to invest C$18.5 million for logistics system, bridge, signs and “intelligent” communications to boost flow of trucks as part of a broader effort to improve trade infrastructure.

CSX and Canadian National’s partnership to create new intermodal service between Montreal and Toronto and the greater New York City area is a strategy to expand each other’s geographical reach and compete with the long-haul trucking market.

Chinese tariffs are impacting American agriculture. But declines in exports to other countries are also hurting American agriculture.

U.S. railroad operations loaded 5.5 percent fewer carloads and intermodal units in July, and trade uncertainty could threaten to maintain that downward trend in rail volumes for the remainder of 2019.

The owner of BNSF and the investor behind Uber have more in common than it seems.

Southern California drayage and logistics firm looks to add to customer base with deal.

FMC Commissioner Rebecca Dye is scheduled to deliver her demurrage and detention recommendations to her fellow commissioners on Sept. 3.

Roadrunner Transportation Systems reports another large operating loss and announces that it will narrow its focus to its logistics and asset-light LTL segments.

Jim Blaze writes about the recent history of intermodal rail service and what may happen in the next few years.

Delta Cargo has chosen FreightWaves SONAR for global freight intelligence and data analytics.

Top 10 intermodal company in the U.S. looks to broker to for drayage supply.

Cargo activity through the Jacksonville, Fla., seaport had a nearly $31.1 billion economic impact on the region and state in 2018.

Two mega-retailers partnerships signal an inflection point in the visibility market.

Second quarter revenue for BNSF rose 0.3 percent despite lower volumes for agricultural products, consumer products and industrial products.

There are reasons to expect a healthy pop in outbound Los Angeles spot rates.

How high will rates out of Los Angeles go in October and November?

East Coast ports saw better growth as trans-Pacific trade slows

North American rail volumes are still lower year-over-year, but U.S. carloads recovered somewhat last week.

Schneider is closing its First to Final Mile delivery operation due to poor performance.

Morgan Stanley, Susquehanna, and Deutsche Bank cut their price targets; Stifel maintained.

Schneider National sees “less favorable” trends continuing into the back half of 2019. The company lowered guidance and announced the closure of its First to Final Mile business.

Celadon’s turnaround gets a shot in the arm with a new three-year financing agreement.

Chief Insight Officer Dean Croke breaks down the intermodal market and how some areas if it are trending upward. While market expert Seth Holm gives us an update on Q2 […]

Eternity México recently launched ELIS, a new cloud-based platform to track international freight shipments in real-time between major markets from Asia to Latin America. ELIS (Eternity Logistics Intelligent System) was […]

The Port of Savannah saw container volumes drop from year-earlier levels as the outlook for international trade remains weak. But the fourth largest U.S. port is still seeing some of […]

The Class I railroads have reported their second quarter/first-half of 2019 results. Jim Blaze writes about what may happen during the remainder of 2019.

Hub Group believes “soft” intermodal volumes will begin to flatten out and that the 2019 peak shipping season will be similar to that of 2017.

CHRW grew net income by 6.3% but increasing earnings per share by 8% with buybacks.

Hub Group sees record earnings despite a “softening demand environment” and “increased truckload and intermodal competition.”

Legislation includes first-ever grants for electric vehicle infrastructure.

The record occurred despite extreme weather conditions that stymied rail shipments in February and March, as well as restrictions on Canadian canola exports to China, the railway said.

After California, New Jersey is the next battleground for trucking’s owner-operator business model. And motor carriers fear the war there may be largely lost. The latest skirmish centers on a […]

A softening freight market took a toll on Universal Logistics Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ULH), an asset-light provider of customized transportation and logistics solutions.  The company reported second quarter 2019 net […]

Denser shipments and higher prices combined for a 6.9 percent improvement in revenue per LTL shipment.

U.S. rail volumes fell yet again for the week ending July 20, according to data from the Association of American Railroads.

Owners of ships, railcars and trucks face increased risk from environmental regulations, credit rating agency Moody’s said. The value of $265 billion in debt owed by transportation companies may be […]

Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) expects continued operational changes will help boost profits and lower operating ratios in the second half of the year.

Knight-Swift reported results within its recently lowered guidance range and doubled down on its estimation that the TL capacity correction is underway.

Schneider wins award for security excellence, while US Xpress honored as carrier of the year by FedEx Ground

Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) reported increases in net profit and revenue in the second quarter of 2019, with its acquisition of trucking and transportation provider TransX providing both higher revenue and costs.

Brian Aoaeh writes about how machine learning and artificial intelligence can be used to improve transportation and decrease emissions.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) said Maryland has received a $125 million federal grant that the state hopes will lead to an expanded rail tunnel in Baltimore to allow for taller trains to travel to the Port of Baltimore.

The $30 million Heartland Intermodal Gateway has generated little income.

West Virginia may look to sell an intermodal port that it developed, but which has failed to generate the expected level of freight volumes. The state’s Port Authority developed the […]

Geopolitical risks are escalating, increasing the risk for petroleum shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

To prepare for ultra-large containerships, the port revises the plan last updated in 1990.

While investing in the North American railcar market is risky right now because the market is so uncertain, Europe and India are among the places where there are “attractive’ opportunities to invest in railcars, officials with railcar lessor GATX said on the company’s second quarter earnings call on July 17.

Capacity has returned to freight markets and spot rates are falling against “contract.”

The railroad said second quarter revenue totaled $714 million, a 5 percent increase from $682 million for the same period in 2018.

After decades of planning and discussion, freight traffic could finally have an alternative highway loop around Dallas that saves them from bottlenecks along Interstate 35. The Loop 9 project will […]

APM Terminals reached a deal with the longshore union at the Port of Los Angeles to retrain dock workers in repairing the automated cargo handling equipment that will take their […]

East Coast ports controlled nearly half of all US TEU traffic last year, JLL report says

It’s hard to blame the skeptics, given what has happened in the past, but dry bulk freight rates are getting pretty impressive.

“You’ve heard me say this many, many times – we’re not going to use the lack of volume as an excuse not to make aggressive achievements on our productivity,” Union Pacific chief financial officer Rob Knight said.

“Rest assured our commitment to achieving our financial targets is unwavering and has never been stronger,” says CFO Rob Knight.

The South Carolina Port Authority (SCPA) said ocean container moves were up 9 percent in its fiscal year, setting a volume record for the port.  The Port of Charleston’s two […]

Sudden surge in marine fuel costs could spur shippers to consider switch to California over Panama Canal route.

The continued decline of U.S. rail volumes was one of the themes mentioned in the second quarter earnings calls for CSX and Canadian Pacific.

Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific are modifying some of the ways they collect demurrage and accessorial charges for some commodities, but some shippers are questioning the modifications.

Another shoe drops as the heart of truckload earnings season commences with Knight-Swift saying that it won’t meet analyst expectations.

“The present economic backdrop is one of the most puzzling I have experienced in my career,” says CEO James M. Foote.

“The present economic backdrop is one of the most puzzling I have experienced in my career..”

Despite a drop in profit in the second quarter, CSX’s (NYSE: CSX) operating ratio set a company record.

Logistics real estate company Prologis, Inc. acquires 37.5 million square feet in $4 billion deal.

After 38% growth in 2018, the company says it is optimistic about continued expansion.

Jordan Alliger rated UPS, FedEx, and J.B. Hunt ‘Buy’; XPO and C.H. Robinson ‘Neutral’; and Expeditors ‘Sell.’

J.B. Hunt posted net earnings of $133.6 million in the second quarter, down 10 percent from a year ago.

Ben Thrower recently visited the Panama Canal. He writes about the canal’s expansion and what that means to global trade and the maritime industry.

Cowan Systems has acquired family-owned regional carrier Carlisle Carrier as it looks to strengthen its Northeast presence.

Bascome Majors says contract rates will be under downward pressure for the rest of the year, but spot rates may have already turned up.

This article brought to you courtesy of NEXT Trucking Transloading services are becoming an increasingly popular option for international shippers looking to beat the cost of carrier haulage by an […]

Union Pacific’s (NYSE: UNP) intermodal rail service saw average speeds sink to a two-year low in the second quarter, with shippers and intermodal marketing companies reporting extensive delays in getting […]

Maersk, for the second time, was granted a permit by the Port of Los Angeles that would allow its APM Terminals subsidiary to install infrastructure for electrified, automated container handling […]

As the Class I railroads begin reporting their second quarter earnings results next week, some members of the Wall Street community expect the lower rail volumes from the second quarter to affect the railroads’ financial results.

U.S. Xpress lowered its financial outlook for the second quarter 2019 as well as the full year.

The port handled a record 2.4 million TEUs of containerized cargo in the 12 months ending June 30, an 8.8% increase over the prior fiscal year.

Although volumes are down across modes, rails don’t need top-line growth to improve cash flows.

Executives from C.H. Robinson discussed increasingly strict retail compliance programs and how to exceed expectations.

Year-to-date U.S. rail volumes fell yet again this week, although improving economic indicators signal that rail volumes could moderate in the weeks and months ahead.

Chris Lytle will step down as executive director of the Port of Oakland on July 19, ending a 53-year career in trade and transportation.

When it came to choosing the location for our latest and greatest event, Chicago was a no brainer. The Windy City isn’t just at the heart of the Midwest, it’s […]

The Port of New York and New Jersey published its plans on how it will handle an expected doubling of container volume over the next 30 years, all while trying […]

Appeals court rejects CMA CGM’s attempt to avoid paying up.

The November 2019 contract is being bid at $2.01/mile and falling.

Atlas Air has won an injunction ordering pilots that have been staging sickouts and delays to stop the practice.

As more bulk and oversize cargo gets transported in containers, some shippers are abusing equipment, says the Institute of International Container Lessors.

The Florida East Coast Railroad’s ships ran a regular and profitable service from 1915 to 1940.

Rail volumes were off again for the week ending June 29, 2019 with U.S. railroads reporting a 5.5 percent decline.

In the longer-term, rail industry observers are waiting to see how and whether Genesee & Wyoming will be able to make the capital investments needed to maintain its infrastructure.

Shippers now will have access to container carriers in all three major east-west space-sharing alliances through the digital shipping platform.

Jim Blaze writes about the movement of grain by rail. This is a huge business for U.S. and Canadian railroads, and is also critical to the export market of the two countries.

“The requested special permit presents unique and substantial risk to the safety of the public and the environment,” reads a letter sent by Reps. DeFazio and Malinowski.

The freight railway owner and operator will be taken private once the transaction, which includes debt, closes later this year or in early 2020.

Also earning accolades were ports throughout the Western Hemisphere, Kongsberg Maritime and ORBCOMM.