Every fall, there is a peak season that hits with fury before the traditional retail peak season. The Midwest transforms as combines sweep across golden fields and trucks line country roads waiting for the corn harvest to finish. For farmers, it’s the culmination of a season’s work. For carriers and drivers, it’s the start of […]
Are declining import bookings a response to erratic trade policy, or are there broader economic signals to be gleaned?
Import demand has increased over the past two years as companies have largely corrected inventories and navigated treacherous waters in the maritime industry.
Innovative Logistics Group’s Adam Wingfield says new enforcement power over truckers with drug violations could be a freight capacity game-changer.
Transportation providers should watch both coasts for increasing spring activity in March.
Consumer spending is likely to decline in the coming months, adding to weak freight conditions.
There are some positive signs that the freight market has cleared most of the post-pandemic rubble, but full recovery is still a ways off.
Flight hours are a proxy for air cargo demand and the amount of time all-cargo aircraft are flying is falling.
Are supply chains already manifesting significant changes in domestic transportation patterns?
Import volumes have not realized the dip in shipping orders yet. What does this mean?
Shippers are requesting as much capacity as ever from maritime shippers in August after slowing their pace through most of the summer. What should we take away from this?
Return of millions of US visitors to be ‘boon’ for transportation and logistics
The number of drivers prohibited from driving due to drugs matches an estimated shortfall of drivers needed to keep up with freight demand.
Capacity is retightening in California as demand surges once again. There are new patterns emerging that may lead to a battle for capacity between the two coasts.
Unlike freight demand, the typical things we see play out on the capacity side of the equation prior to a holiday have not (at least to this point).
Class 8 truck orders have exceeded 30,000 a month for six consecutive months, more bookings than in the previous 18 months combined.
This week’s DHL Supply Chain Pricing Power Index: 70 (Carriers) Last week’s DHL Supply Chain Pricing Power Index: 65 (Carriers) Three-month DHL Supply Chain Pricing Power Index Outlook: 75 (Carriers) The DHL Supply Chain Pricing Power Index uses the analytics and data in FreightWaves SONAR to analyze the market and estimate the negotiating power for […]
All trucking operational costs fell in 2019 as freight demand contracted. Drivers earned less per mile but received bigger retention, signing and safety bonuses, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.
Increased freight volume and higher carrier profits always drive Class 8 truck demand. The circumstances in 2020 differ from 2018’s tax cut-driven boom, but reasons for the surge are identical.
Knight-Swift sees demand improve throughout the second quarter, producing a big earnings beat. The carrier raises its 2020 earnings outlook to a level higher than its original expectation.
Truckload carrier heads talk demand, rates and capacity at investor conference.
The amount of capacity allocated to the amount of freight moved is the most important factor in determining freight rates.
A recent polling of business leaders regarding future plans for capital investment declined sequentially in the third quarter. Capital investments traditionally lead to future freight demand and have been a meaningful contributor to recent economic expansion in the U.S.
The FreightWaves Freight Intel Group’s latest research shows that a freight recession is taking place.
While the passenger side has been experiencing growing demand, the industry’s overall profitability is still being dragged down by the smaller cargo side.
Donald Broughton writes that as goes the freight sector goes the economy in this commentary.
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.
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 sales and industrial production exceeded expectations during the month. This is an encouraging sign that activity may be stabilizing in the second quarter, though details […]
A.L.A. Trucking’s 41 drivers and 15 other employees will lose their jobs in the layoff, owner Alan Adams confirmed late Wednesday night.
Manufacturers’ new orders for durable goods declined in April, and details suggest more trouble ahead for freight demand in the economy
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
Growth in the U.S. economy improved 3.2 percent during the first quarter, but details related to freight demand suggest a weaker environment to start the year.
Industrial output in the economy continued to struggle in March, as a stalled manufacturing sector continues to weigh on freight demand in the economy.
Retail activity declined unexpectedly in February, as poor weather contributed to the loss in momentum for consumer spending
Retail sales tumbled by the largest amount in over nine years in December 2018, providing a disappointing end to what was otherwise a strong year for the retail sector. The 2018 holiday season ended up well below expectations, and introduces some fresh concerns about the strength of the economy going forward.
The monthly economic roundup is a summary of recent event in the economy and a guide for key trends worth monitoring over the next month.
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.
Manufacturers’ new orders for durable goods posted a modest rebound in November, driven by a surge in aircraft orders. Orders excluding transportation fell for the second time in three months. This is the latest in a string of disappointing releases from manufacturing, raising some questions about the health of one of the key drivers of freight demand headed into next year.
The size of the US goods trade deficit with the rest of the world increased again in October, as a large decline in exports and a small gain in imports pushed the deficit near record levels. The total value of traded goods fell slightly during the month but is still considerably higher than at this point last year despite significant changes to trade policy.
Housing starts fell more than expected in September, as the impact of Hurricane Florence caused a massive decline in construction activity in the South. This put a damper on what would otherwise be a decent report and leaves some uncertainty about the underlying strength of one of the key components of freight demand.
A roundup of economic data releases and events over the past month, and view of trends worth watching in October. Freight demand conditions remained generally solid during the month, though international trade and housing remain trouble areas. Supply within trucking looks to be expanding, and hires in the industry continued to climb
Factory orders for durable goods rose in August, driven by a large increase in commercial aircraft orders. Orders historically are a leading indicator of future shipments, and August’s results suggest that freight demand on the durable side of the economy should remain solid.
Both new home sales and home starts showed some improvement in August, ending months of disappointing activity. Existing home sales failed to expand for the fifth straight month however, and housing in general remains a weak area for freight demand.
Coyote’s new white paper contains a stark warning to truckers and an optimistic promise to shippers, predicting a rapid collapse of spot rates.
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.
Regional surveys from Federal Reserve districts were mixed during the month, as softening conditions from the Philadelphia and Kansas City districts were offset by improvements in the Richmond and New York regions. Commentary from the regional surveys suggests tariffs, labor shortages, and the inability to find trucking capacity are curbing economic activity across the board, though growth remains generally positive.
A package of weak data on both housing starts and home purchases indicates that housing and construction remains one of the few areas of weakness in the economy in the 3rd quarter. This has put some downward pressure on freight demand, as the movement of building materials, furniture, and appliances is influenced by the strength of the housing market.
Growth in the US economy improved considerably in the second quarter of the year, as a rebound in consumer spending helped drive the strongest quarter of growth in nearly four years.
The volume of used trucks going to auction continued to be lower than expected in May due to heightened demand.
Retail activity improved again in April, helping to reinforce the idea of stronger consumer spending in the 2nd quarter. This should help sustain freight demand as retailers look for inventory replenishment and last mile residential delivery services
Manufacturing growth is likely to remain solid in the 2nd quarter, as orders for new production remained healthy through March. This should help keep freight demand strong, even if things have moderated from the torrid pace seen in previous months.
Economic growth slowed down in the 1st quarter, as payback from post-hurricane surges and poor weather derailed activity in some sectors of the economy.
Durable goods orders rose 2.6% in March, driven by a 2nd consecutive surge in commercial aircraft orders. Core orders remained essentially unchanged during the month in a sign that freight demand will continue to normalize.
Sales of single-family homes improved for the 2nd consecutive month in a sign that housing activity is beginning to accelerate at the start of spring. This, in turn, should boost freight demand for building materials, furniture, and appliances as households move in and settle.
A monthly synopsis of events and results in the macroeconomy from the past month and a discussion of implications for freight markets going forward. Results released in March were generally more favorable than the previous month and suggests that freight demand should remain strong going forward.
Factory orders for durable goods bounced back after a large decline in the previous month. Gains during the month were broad based in a sign that freight demand should be solid in upcoming months
Manufacturing industrial production surged in February, but housing starts slipped in a mixed day for freight demand
Durable goods orders fell in January, indicating that demand may be losing some steam after running hot over the past several months.
