Consulting firm FTR Associates says the freight transportation markets will find support amid a still-growing manufacturing sector, despite perceived softness in the U.S. economy.
In 2020, 18.1 million barrels per day of petroleum products were consumed in the United States.
Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion reported Tuesday that February results were impacted as inclement weather took hold on parts of its network during the month. However, the carrier noted that the deceleration from January’s robust growth rate lasted for only one week.
Although many questions remain for trucking in 2021, flatbed appears to be poised for a much stronger year.
We may be seeing signs of a traditional January lull, but at a much higher level than years past. On a rejection-adjusted basis, tender volumes are running up 23% yoy versus 20% last week. Tender rejections continue to decline modestly, but carriers are still rejecting more than 1-in-5 contracted tenders. Stimulus can only carry the freight markets so long. Fortunately, the industrial economy is revving up and retailers have significant restocking ahead.
FreightWaves has produced a white paper, in partnership with Echo Global Logistics, reviewing the current state of various industrial freight verticals and future forecasts for each.
Chart of the Week: Total Rail Carloads, Chemical Rail Carloads, Motor Vehicle Rail Carloads – USA SONAR: RTOTC.USA, RTOCH.USA, RTOMV.USA The latest rail carload data is showing that the industrial side of […]
Anthony and Zach discuss the dynamic between the spot and contract market as rates continue their wild ride in 2020. Do carriers, brokers or shippers control the spot market?
Chinese imports have fully recovered. Does this mean the domestic trucking market will see a similar outcome?
Anthony and Zach discuss what to make of the first major U.S. carrier to report earnings during the COVID-19 outbreak along with the recent Cass, industrial production and retail releases.
Reefer volumes have broken out this winter as dry van demand fades. Does this mean the sector is in for a strong recovery in 2020?
Anthony, Zach, and special guest Kyle Lintner from K-Ratio discuss how the freight market is disconnected from the general economy; are we truly out of a freight recession; and how Freight Futures work.
Zach and Anthony discuss why January is so difficult to manage and why this one may be different for trucking; FMCSA and AB5 hangups; and give a economic and market update as well as projections.
Isuzu buys Volvo’s UD Trucks; U.S. industrial production climbs in November; DHL increases parcel delivery price in Germany.
Saia, Old Dominion fourth quarter updates show that one may be gaining at the expense of the other
Old Dominion posts first year-on-year revenue drop in 3 years as macro weakness hits home
Retail remains a rare source of strength in the economy while manufacturing struggles
Old Dominion reported continued LTL volume weakness in July. Near-term volume relief may be hard to come by as domestic and global macroeconomic trends remain tepid.
Economic data from the goods side of the economy continued to trend in a positive direction in June, as both retail sales and industrial production posted solid gains.
The economic roundup summarizes recent developments in the macroeconomy as they relate to freight demand, and highlights key trends worth watching in the upcoming month.
Retail and industrial activity improved, providing some stability for freight Economic data from the goods side of the economy showed some signs of life in May, as growth in retail […]
FreightWaves is providing a forum – Market Voices – for a number of market experts. Last week I wrote about why the ongoing decline in lumber shipments and the ongoing […]
Economic data from the goods side of the economy continued to underperform in April, as both retail sales and industrial production unexpectedly declined during the month
The Economic Roundup is designed to synthesize the events of the past month as they relate to freight markets, and provide a guide on trends to keep an eye on in the upcoming month.
Donald Broughton, FreightWaves’ chief market strategist, helps explain the U.S. economy in a multi-part series. This article focuses on the industrial economy of the U.S., which is critical to the overall health of the nation.
Industrial output in the economy continued to struggle in March, as a stalled manufacturing sector continues to weigh on freight demand in the economy.
The monthly economic roundup summarizes key developments in the macroeconomy over the past month and highlights trends worth watching headed into April.
Industrial production rose by a paltry 0.1% in February, restrained by a second consecutive decline in manufacturing activity
Industrial production rose at a solid pace to round out 2018, helped by a jump in manufacturing activity during the month. The gain in output in December rounded out the strongest year for the industrial sector since 2010, and eased fears after a string of negative releases from manufacturing.
Recent results show that retail activity continued to expand in November, in a sign that one of the key components of freight demand remains healthy at the end of the year. Results from the manufacturing sector were far less encouraging however, as activity stalled during the month.
Industrial output rose for the fifth consecutive month in October, with strength in the manufacturing sector outweighing softening activity in mining production. Hurricane season again disrupted activity, with Hurricane Michael restraining total production slightly during the month.
Overall truckload volumes and spot rates are soft, but a huge wave of containers hit the West Coast in September, retail demand is strong, and additions to the national fleet of drivers have been marginal.
Industrial output continued to push ahead in September, signaling that one of the key drivers of freight demand remained solid at the end of the 3rd quarter. Production was restrained slightly by the impact from Hurricane Florence, but not enough to prevent growth in the sector from reaching a near 8-year high.
A pair of releases this morning show that retail spending and industrial output expanded in August, signaling that some key components of freight demand continue to grow at a healthy pace in the 3rd quarter.
The economic roundup is a monthly summary of the various factors that affect freight demand and supply in the economy. Data releases in August showed an economic that was performing generally well, but softness in housing and trade are likely to impact freight demand.
A pair of releases this morning show that retail spending and manufacturing output continued to advance in July, signaling that some key components of freight demand remain on solid footing in the 3rd quarter.
Flatbed demand, railroads’ chemical carload volumes, and the price of WTI crude are all bullish signals for an historically hot freight environment to continue through the rest of the year.
Donald Broughton says that the oil boom and Trump tax cuts are driving a young industrial expansion cycle; shippers continue to adjust supply chains to minimize transport costs; Google invests $550M in Chinese e-commerce site JD.com; China may put a tariff on US oil imports; Brazil’s trucker strike shattered economic growth outlooks; Asia-North America container rates are softening.
Output from the nation’s industrial sector climbed for the third consecutive month, as broad gains across industries helped compensate for a lull in auto production. This serves as yet another sign that freight demand will remain solid in the 2nd quarter.
Positive news from both manufacturing and construction sectors, as gain in each help drive up freight demand in the economy
Manufacturing industrial production surged in February, but housing starts slipped in a mixed day for freight demand
The Federal Reserve reported that total industrial production declined 0.1% in January from December’s levels, weighed down by a 1% decline in mining output in the economy.
