Intermodal

People are eager for face-to-face gatherings. But health and safety issues will still call the shots.

Appearing at an investor conference Wednesday, management from J.B. Hunt Transport Services said delivery schedules for new containers are being hindered by a lack of ocean capacity, not manufacturers’ build schedules.

The attorney who led the legal effort said U.S. chassis producers are ramping up because of the import fees.

Transportation and logistics provider Schneider aims to double its intermodal size by 2030, reducing CO2 emissions by 700 million pounds annually.

“First Class I railroad in North America to issue green bonds,” Norfolk Southern shares plans for environmental projects.

Steel and chemicals were among the commodities that showed volume strength in April, according to the Association of American Railroads. North American intermodal volumes grew 10.5% in the first quarter, said the Intermodal Association of North America.

Anticipated growth for intermodal will help to support Hub Group’s investments for that sector in 2021.

Schneider National sees several favorable catalysts through the remainder of 2021 that are supportive of its guidance raise. Finding equipment and drivers will be the challenge.

Schneider National’s first quarter comes in ahead of analysts’ expectations and the company raises its full-year outlook by 8% at the midpoint of the range.

A California freight forwarder filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy last week, collectively owing transportation and logistics companies more than $884,000.

J.B. Hunt exec says at Net-Zero Carbon Summit that intermodal ‘needs to be on everybody’s mind’

Cass data published Friday highlights new records as volumes reaccelerate and rates soar.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services updated its long-term division margin targets on its first-quarter call Thursday.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced first-quarter results well ahead of analysts’ expectations.

The Teamsters called it a strike even though no employed workers were believed to be on the picket line.

The telematics, ELD and satellite provider is getting sold for a 50% premium. Even that is less than at least one analyst saw as its value.

FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller writes about FreightWaves, as well as transportation today and moving forward.

Union Pacific and logistics company Savage Services are constructing Idaho’s first-ever intermodal terminal at UP’s rail yard in Pocatello.

1997: “Comparing our project to the Panama Canal is to confuse an apple with an orange,” New York lawyer Don M. Bosco said. “Our competition won’t be the canal. Instead, we intend to take significant business from the 3,000-mile U.S. landbridge system.”

Another strike at the Port of Montreal increasingly likely after longshoremen reject contract as seven-month truce expires. Railroads and trucking companies, meanwhile, brace for scramble to Halifax.

Two bullish equity research reports this week on transportation stocks both highlight expectations around consumer spending and what that means for freight demand.

February freight data from Cass shows a deceleration in the growth rates of shipments and expenditures. Recent weather events have only “coiled the spring” for a continuation of high demand and rising rates.

U.S. intermodal traffic on a weekly basis continues to show strength, rising last week by 22%, according to the Association of American Railroads. The increase comes amid higher U.S. retail sales in February year-over-year, despite a sequential decline.

Fireworks could be stuck at sea by the time the Fourth of July rolls around. Blame massive port congestion and overloaded freight networks. The fireworks industry is asking the Biden administration to provide a fix, but what can it do?

Changes in export volumes for certain types of wheat may be reflected in changes in freight flows, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Witnesses at a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday stressed the need for a multimodal approach in federal support of the railroads, citing freight rail’s connection with both rural, inland towns and coastal ports.

“As retail imports continue to boom during the pandemic, the ability to quickly move goods from ships to the hinterland via rail is paramount,” says CEO Jim Newsome.

Earlier this week, in the last edition of The Stockout CPG-focused newsletter, I focused on reefer since the many CPG companies that require temperature controls are facing an even tighter freight market than those that do not. Today, I am shifting gears to discuss shipping dry goods and, specifically, intermodal insights from the latest datasets […]

International intermodal volumes for the U.S. have risen 44% year-over-year, according to FreightWaves SONAR, amid higher import activity.

Booming sales, thin inventories and more stimulus on the way provide the backdrop for potentially setting a new record for retail container imports in 2021. The National Retail Federation raised its outlook again for loaded containers landing at U.S. ports in the first half of the year.

Wells Fargo transportation research analyst Allison Poliniak-Cusic raises expectations for intermodal providers in a new report. Favorable catalysts for the mode are expected to carry into 2022.

U.S. weekly intermodal volumes moved higher last week amid support from retail and e-commerce, while carloads slumped as some U.S. Gulf Coast facilities seek to fully return to normal following February’s winter storm.

Schneider’s corporate sustainability goals include plans to reduce per-mile carbon emissions 60% by 2035 and focus on fleet electrification.

J.B. Hunt believes recent winter storms will negatively impact first-quarter operating income by $15 million to $20 million. The company said it had been successful advancing its intermodal service initiatives prior to the storms.

Drayage trucking and logistics company ContainerPort sold its container yard and depot division to ITS ConGlobal, a company with intermodal, finished vehicle and depot service terminals.

Northwest Seaport Alliance reports January exports dropped 13.4% year-over-year.

Growth in the supply chain came at a faster pace in February, with transportation capacity falling and prices climbing at accelerated rates.

Eastern U.S. railroad CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) has started the regulatory process to acquire New England short line operator Pan Am Railways in a move that CSX hopes will strengthen its intermodal presence in the region. The company on Thursday submitted its application to the Surface Transportation Board. The application includes a request both to acquire […]

U.S. Class I rail operations are seeking to return to normal, with intermodal terminals opening in the central and western U.S. But the overall network is experiencing delays in multiple locations.

Combining Hunt’s data and Google’s tools will yield differentiated service offerings.

Power outages, bitter cold and heavy snows have caused temporary intermodal-related closures and significant delays.

Canadian trucking and logistics company Fastfrate Group beefs up its cross-border e-commerce business by acquiring third-party logistics provider ASL Distribution Services.

Appearing at an investor conference, J.B. Hunt CEO John Roberts said this year’s intermodal bid season will go a long way in determining whether the company curtails the division’s margin target.

Preeti Pande, the hydrogen solution provider’s chief marketing officer, comes with extensive fuel cell industry experience and a Ph.D.

Amid heightened scrutiny over the direction of the company, Forward Air’s management team defends its current strategy. Fourth-quarter results were negatively impacted by a December cyberattack.

New unit acquired by Forward Air increases its intermodal footprint.

Day Three of Global Supply Chain Week will cover topics related to food and CPG supply chains. Tyson Foods Chief Sustainability Officer John Tyson is set to start the day off with global sustainability in mind.

Thanks to COVID, there are no seasonal highs and lows for international shipping. There is so much demand for goods that the peak season never seems to end — and ports, railroads, truckers and warehouses are reaching the breaking point.

An open letter from activist investor Ancora Advisors says “ineffective capital allocation” and diversification into “margin- and return-dilutive service offerings” have led to inferior results for Forward Air compared to other less-than-truckload carriers.

Third-party logistics provider Radiant Logistics beat expectations for its second fiscal quarter. The company’s improved results and low-debt profile are allowing it to pursue acquisitions.

North American automotive and import opportunities could boost business for Universal Logistics during 2021, CEO Tim Phillips said during the Q4 earnings call.

Retailers will want to pull forward inventory ahead of the 2021 peak season, the intermodal marketing company said. Fourth-quarter 2020 revenue grew by 6% although net profit slipped by 20% year-over-year.

Universal Logistics’ operating revenues from truckload services in the fourth quarter decreased $8.7 million to $49.8 million.

U.S. rail volumes rose 5.3% in January as gains for intermodal, chemicals and grain were enough to offset losses for coal and petroleum products, according to AAR data.

Schneider National plans to use its strong cash generation capabilities to reinvest in the fleet during 2021. The carrier will also look to allocate growth capital to its dedicated and intermodal offerings.

Schneider National posted fourth-quarter results ahead of analysts’ forecasts on Wednesday. The company’s 2021 outlook is largely in-line with the current consensus estimate.

Higher consumer spending, inventory restocking and rising import levels contributed to a 9.6% gain in North American intermodal volumes in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to the Intermodal Association of North America.

SONAR is the leading freight forecasting platform. Two recently added SONAR indices are proving very useful to SONAR subscribers. Learn more.

“Demand in the intermodal and trucking sectors is at an all-time high, which makes this an ideal time to optimize FYX’s many assets and take it to the next level,” says new CEO Kenneth Forster.

Anticipated consumer spending levels, retail restocking and tight truck capacity are among the factors that could support intermodal volumes this year, according to Class I rail execs.

Knight-Swift Transportation reports a big jump in results during the fourth quarter. However, while some may view this as a victory lap, investors appear to be calling the end to the TL trade.

Knight-Swift Transportation capitalizes on strong truckload fundamentals to post much higher year-over-year results. Fourth-quarter numbers came in slightly ahead of expectations and the company’s full-year 2021 guidance remains unchanged.

Two FreightWaves SONAR charts illustrate Union Pacific’s views of the West Coast intermodal spot market.

The Georgia Ports Authority is adding capacity in anticipation of another busy year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ fourth quarter came in better than expected. However, the company said it was reviewing long-term margin targets across all segments. Intermodal margin forecasts may be reduced but other units could see upward revisions.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ fourth quarter outpaces analysts’ forecasts. Brokerage, truck and final-mile divisions benefit from revenue surge.

CIEM’s Pioneer Chassis is gearing up to play a key role in squelching port bottlenecks and filling the chassis shortage gap.

“The way we responded to the challenges, kept commerce moving and preserved jobs is a story that we will all remember for a long time to come,” says Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka during his State of the Port address.

A Prologis and MIT study said the holiday peak season in 2020 was the most environmentally friendly yet. E-commerce dominated 2020 consumer buying trends, drastically reducing the number of individual trips to the store.

The opening of the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal and deepening of Charleston Harbor are expected to make for an even brighter 2021.

Dachser promotes Burkhard Eling to CEO; GlobalTranz hires Bryan Foe as SVP; the Containerization & Intermodal Institute appoints Randy Bayles to its board; and Illinois Railroad Association taps Michelle Kelm as executive director.

Robert Primus gets confirmed as the newest member of the Surface Transportation Board while the Intermodal Association of North America names Barbara Melvin as its new board member.

Emerge founder Andrew Leto and content marketing expert and best-selling author Joe Pulizzi will keynote FreightWaves’ upcoming virtual Sales & Marketing Summit.

While the pace of growth in the supply chain cooled during December, transportation and warehouse capacity remains tight and prices are high.

The Port of New York and New Jersey is committed to fluid operations during cargo surges.

Ocean carrier Maersk says it is “working closely with the Agriculture Transportation Coalition and local trucking associations to address their concerns of equipment availability and detention and demurrage issues.”

Drayage provider ContainerPort Group announces intermodal terminal operator FSI Inc. will start operating under the CPG banner at the beginning of the year.

CN has partnered with other organizations to develop a plastics resins export facility in Alabama near the Port of Mobile. The facility will open in late 2021.

J.B. Hunt issues intermodal service advisory as railroads BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern implement gate restrictions in Los Angeles and Chicago.

The European Commission has released its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. Massive investments and infrastructure are needed to meet the EU Commission’s sustainability milestones.

“This is one of the most difficult seasons we’ve been facing trying to move our cargo out of the United States,” says a California almond producer.

Hub Group’s acquisition ambitions land in the final-mile sector in a $94.5 million deal for non-asset provider NonstopDelivery.

Redwood Logistics’ #HeroChallenge and Women in Logistics webinar raised funds to celebrate GivingTuesday.

On Dec. 1, KCS announced that the blockades had officially come to an end. The Mexican economy has taken a hit due to the pandemic and the protests only added to the hurt.

How long will Brad Jacobs stay on after split and spinoff of logistics business?

The railway has started reaching out to First Nations groups and the broader public to share its plan.

Regardless of a transport or logistics manager’s objectives, the digital age name of the game is to estimate the dollar savings provided by an application like this.

A November supply chain survey shows the rates at which transportation capacity is shrinking and pricing is climbing are increasing.

A few images convey a great deal about the intermodal rail model.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services announces several changes to the executive roster on Tuesday, including the appointment of John Kuhlow as the company’s permanent chief financial officer.

Quick action comes on heels of a call for action by key trade group; Commissioner Maffei says it may not be enough

The Cass Freight Index returns positive trends for shipments in October. The expectation is strong volumes will continue with the outlook for higher expenditures on the horizon.

Which of the big seven railroad companies has a volume growth strategic plan to sync with J.B. Hunt?

Given the tight market, Hunt customers can expect to hear from company soon on need for rate increases to cover higher costs

Former Bethlehem Steel plant site at Sparrows Point, Maryland, attracts shippers and 3PLs to build Northeast distribution centers.

Earlier Harbor Trucking Association complaints about fees in Los Angeles/Long Beach now extended to New York/New Jersey; FMC commissioner says some action likely

No specifics in shipping company’s statement on request for relief from demurrage and detention charges

FreightWaves Classics will present articles about key events, companies,, organizations, etc. from the history of transportation, logistics, supply chain and freight.

Management from Schneider National expects tightness in the trucking markets to continue. Inventory restocking will keep truck demand elevated and new capacity is entering the market at a slower pace than in previous cycles.

Weekly intermodal traffic is still higher year-over-year although on a sequential basis, volumes appear to be leveling off for trailers.