Intermodal rates inch up in October

North American intermodal pricing in October inched up 1.9 percent from October 2016, marking the thirteenth consecutive month of year-over-year increases, according to the latest Cass Intermodal Price Index.    North American intermodal rates in October inched up 1.9 percent from 12 months prior, according to the latest Cass Intermodal Price Index, which measures all-in per-mile costs.
   Cass Information Systems Inc., a logistics payment solutions provider and transportation intelligence analyst, said the index stood at 132.8 in October.
   Overall, October marked the thirteenth consecutive month of year-over-year increases.
   On a monthly basis, intermodal costs had increased 2.9 percent from September.
   The index established its most recent peak in March at 135.4, and then has sequentially trended lower since, as diesel fell back down toward $2.50 a gallon in July.
   With regard to the outlook for the index, Donald Broughton, analyst and commentator for the Cass indexes, said, “We now expect it to exceed March’s peak by the end of the year. Longer term, we continue to foresee oil trading in the $45 to $55 range and diesel in the $2.25 to $2.75 range throughout 2017 (sans the refining interruption pressure produced by the recent hurricanes).”