intermodal

Iowa transportation company Travero plans to open a multimodal cross-dock operation by next September.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, a short seller has laid out a blistering report on Nikola; plus, Trimble has announced layoffs within its transportation business and HOS changes could impact safety.

Tightening truckload and intermodal markets have carriers expecting the hot freight market to carry forward. One carrier is calling for large rate increases in 2021.

Intermodal was supposed to be the growth engine for rail.

The new unit can pass over stacks of boxes four high (48 feet) and five wide (plus a truck lane, a total of 69 feet).

While revenue for Universal Logistics Holdings’ truckload, brokerage and intermodal segments all declined during the second quarter, the CEO said he was pleased with the “anticipated direction of our current operations.”

Hub Group’s second-quarter earnings beat was accompanied by the expectation for intermodal volume to increase in the high-single-digit range for the rest of the year.

“Cost containment” minimizes the impact of a 15% revenue decline during Schneider National’s second quarter. Guidance was reinstated higher than current consensus expectations.

The truckload carriers have reported solid results to start second quarter earnings season, but some load data is still lagging.

J.B. Hunt easily bests consensus forecasts led by better-than-expected intermodal and dedicated results. The back half of 2020 remains hazy on COVID-19 fears.

Mark-It Express Logistics is expanding again, acquiring 20-truck carrier Sava Transportation, as it looks to build a national name for itself in the intermodal business.

Anthony and Zach talk to rail and intermodal expert Mike Baudendistel about some interesting signals from that sector as well as connecting the dots between modes.

A new intermodal-focused transportation management system brings together the technologies and expertise of Profit Tools, Compcare Services and GTG Technology Group.

Peaceful protests and civil unrest continue in many major cities, including Chicago, following the death of George Floyd

Freight moving long distances in May might lead to a strong summer peak.

The fourth quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021 might be when the intermodal sector will see some volume growth. But truck capacity, fuel pricing and pandemic uncertainties make a recovery hard to pin down.

Truckload and transportation companies talk freight markets ahead of reopening with some calling a market bottom in April as spot rates remain below breakeven.

Hub Group’s first quarter miss included several one-off expenses unlikely to recur. However, volume headwinds are expected to persist in the near-term.

A better than expected first quarter yields to expectations that a recovery may not occur until June. Some of Schneider’s customers are starting up again, but demand in May will likely be choppy.

The smallest of the standardized ocean containers in the global fleet remains ideal for dense, heavy agricultural goods, forest products, and machinery shipments.

Container equipment shortage exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic stresses upper-Midwest soybean exporter trying to fill his springtime customer orders to Asia.

Knight-Swift’s better than expected quarter yields to further uncertainty as the year progresses.

Diminished railcar demand and COVID-19 headwinds force railcar maker to halt production and trim staff.

The J.B. Hunt first-quarter conference call provided a mixed bag of anecdotes. While concerns mount over economic disruption, the company has some offsets.

J.B. Hunt’s first quarter results, while slightly below consensus, were likely not as bad as feared. The company’s outlook provided on its earnings call will be the takeaway.

A report from Boston Consulting Group suggests that the Class I railroads must look beyond precision scheduled railroading and operating ratios if the industry wants to be a competitive transportation mode.

Members of the Washington, D.C.-based National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America interviewed by American Shipper this week generally praised CBP for permitting the flow of legitimate trade across the continent.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said there has been no shortage of container-shipping industry members willing to participate in its initiative to identify ways to overcome supply chain obstacles caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with FreightWaves, TRAC Intermodal President and CEO Jennifer Polli describes how her company is handling its business operations against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hub Group joins other transportation companies in accessing revolving credit to improve liquidity.

CDL 1000 aims to revolutionize street turns by automating the process, cutting out inefficiencies and improving speed.

The choice depends on the lane, the freight and the rate.

Every FreightWaves article is designed to assist our readers in becoming the most informed professionals in the transportation and logistics industry. These articles may have flown under your radar this week. […]

FreightWaves Market Expert Mike Baudendistel writes about the issues impacting rail intermodal in 2020, and the ongoing battle between the railroads and the trucking industry.

Ocean, intermodal and trucking data are flashing red. Don’t worry — DAT just made a bullish call on spot rates.

Declines in Cass data accelerate but report calls for rates to inflect higher in 2020.

Lead Economist, Anthony Smith takes the reigns on this macro edition of Freightonomics. He chats with a diverse panel of guests about ways to optimize performance across business areas in […]

When responding to requests for proposals in the contract bidding process, rail and intermodal service providers should tout not only their competitive pricing but why shippers should diversify their modal options.

J.B. Hunt announced that CFO David Mee will retire March 1. The company will fill the interim role internally until a permanent replacement is found.

Werner’s management team is still pointing to a truckload recovery in 2020 but noted that the first half will be a challenge.

FreightWaves SONAR has new information for subscribers.

Union Pacific opens lanes, while Norfolk Southern talks lane opportunities to take market share from trucks.

Schneider National’s fourth quarter suffered from a “muted peak season” and softer rates. However, the carrier’s 2020 outlook calls for improving fundamentals.

Robinson aggressively cut prices to hold truckload volumes steady and grow LTL volumes.

Quarantines and factory shutdowns could deepen and extend the traditional Chinese New Year trough.

J.B. Hunt’s fourth quarter call addresses some challenges facing its brokerage and intermodal businesses.

J.B. Hunt reports lower-than-expected earnings in the fourth quarter as weaker market conditions and increased investment weigh on results.

Dupré Logistics and HOYER form bulk transport entity to provide supply chain services domestically and internationally.

Rail intermodal is the transportation method of moving freight on the earth’s surface by two modes, by railroad and also by truck. The freight can be carried in either trailers or containers; containers has become the larger and faster-growing category. The freight is moved on a railroad during the long-haul portion of the move with local trucking (known as drayage) taking the trailer or container to its final destination.

Market Expert Michael Baudendistel writes about rail intermodal volume is lower for the long-term, or can it be more competitive with trucking.

Cass freight data shows softness again in November. While shipment declines extend to a full year, the rate of the declines may be moderating.

Anthony and Zach discuss what will trim the fat in the oversupplied trucking market as well as talk about why Intermodal has not materialized as the savior of the rail volumes with Mike Baudendistel.

Vice president of operations explains what keeps PTI at the industry forefront.

President and chief operating officer, Michael Gettle, who assisted in the corporate restructuring is leaving the company.

Jim Blaze writes about the decline in rail freight; is it a recent event, or has it been taking place over a longer period?

Jim Blaze writes about the power and influence of mentors on a person’s career and life.

Jim Blaze writes about the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, that takes some of the freight from the harbor to distribution centers. Is it still economically viable?

The latest Cass outlook signals “economic contraction,” but the heads at some of the nation’s largest truckload carriers see a different path.

CHICAGO – The technology transformation that’s underway in freight transportation is badly needed to eliminate billions of dollars in annual waste and improve service for shippers and carriers of all […]

Hunt thinks that an additional 7 to 11 million loads per year could shift from the highway to intermodal.

Mark Rourke, CEO of Schneider National, right, told George Abernathy, president of FreightWaves, that a series of regulations hitting the industry will affect expenses or cut capacity, during his time on stage at FreightWaves LIVE Chicago.

For anyone in and around the Corn Belt in 2019, the lasting effects of this spring’s flooding are still front and center in everyone’s mind. The economy has been impacted […]

Roadrunner continues to restructure its operations by shuttering another unit. The company announced that it was selling its intermodal operations to Universal Logistics.

The rails managed to increase rates while trucking rates continued to compress in October.

With the bulk of its final mile business shuttered and its tractor fleet right-sized, management believes that the company is on solid footing to see improvement in 2020.

While Hub Group reported a
good quarter, its near-term outlook is pretty rough. In short, Hub Group doesn’t see a peak season coming in 2019.

New features have been added to FreightWaves SONAR. Learn about them here!

J.B. Hunt Transport Services reports earnings light of expectations, but cost headwinds from digital platform transformation appear to be the primary culprits.

Knight-Swift Transportation lowered its third and fourth quarter 2019 guidance amid intermodal and truckload woes. However, some analysts find this as a reason to celebrate.

Market Voice Darren Prokop writes about automation at ports and the progress – and disruption – that will bring.

Freight shipments and expenditures declined on a year-over-year basis again in September according to the latest Cass Freight Index Report. The firm now believes that the index is “signaling an economic contraction.”

Carloads on the railroads remained under water in the first week of the fourth quarter 2019. Intermodal weakness will be in the spotlight as third quarter earnings season approaches.

Trucks are competitively priced on East Coast lanes and offer better service than the railroads.

Unionized Canadian drivers for CNTL approve four-year agreement that increases rates for wait times and mileage.

The company is following through on a pledge to acquire 1,000 branded intermodal containers by the end of 2020.

Trucking volumes are up YoY, while rail intermodal volumes have fallen. Now may be the time for long time competitors to explore new partnerships.

The outlook for intermodal freight transportation and what’s going on with driver cash flow and factoring issues will be two of the key topics of discussion on the September 28-29 […]

Universal Logistics reported that it has agreed to a $36 million settlement for an accident that involved a “marginal driver.”

The Canadian class I railroads outlined a number of growth opportunities at an investor conference. Intermodal capacity expansion at the ports and grain delays provided the big takeaways.

If not enough 0.5% low sulfur fuel is available after Jan. 1. 2020 ships may resort to using more expensive 0.1% sulfur fuel used today in emission control areas.

Two of the nation’s largest truckload carriers said they are seeing green shoots in freight demand.

FourKites was founded with the idea of developing a cloud-based SaaS platform that allows for seamless communication and real-time collaboration in the supply chain. As it passes five years in business, founder Matt Elenjickal details why he thinks it has been successful.

This week’s addition of intermodal volume data to our SONAR platform brings us one step closer to having price, volume, and capacity for all modes of transport including air cargo, trucking, inland waterways (barge), ocean and rail.

While management teams at some of the nation’s largest TL carriers have been talking up the potential for a solid peak shipping season, Universal Logistics has seen peak season sentiment move the opposite direction.

The outlook from JBHT was notably better than the concern around the lack of an uptick in seasonal demand that many carriers expressed at multiple investor conferences in May and June.

J.B. Hunt imposes peak season intermodal surcharge to recoup costs of returning empties

Market Voice Jim Blaze writes about rail intermodal and what is happening to this area of the railroad sector.

Using data from FreightWaves SONAR, economist Ibrahiim Bayaan writes about the state of the U.S. retail market and what is ahead for this key sector.

Freight tonnage will grow 25.6 percent by the end of the next decade, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) predicts in its annual ATA Freight Transportation Forecast: 2019 to 2030.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.