intermodal

The CEOs of five Class I railroads tell the Surface Transportation Board that the root causes of the congestion facing rail intermodal terminals are beyond the railroads’ control.

The pace of U.S. rail volume growth slowed in July, according to Association of American Railroad data. But still expect intermodal growth through 2021 in North America, the Intermodal Association of North America said.

TRAC Intermodal President and CEO Daniel Walsh chats with FreightWaves about chassis availability and market conditions into 2022.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services reported better-than-expected second-quarter results Monday as the company saw double-digit revenue growth in all divisions when compared to the year-ago period, which contained widespread lockdowns from COVID protocols.

Loaded domestic intermodal container volume is now down on 10 of the 11 densest domestic intermodal lanes that originate in the U.S.

Intermodal volumes are down while tender rejections are up. The rails may be missing a huge growth opportunity, but is there anything they can do about it?

2002: The Port of Oakland gears up intermodal capabilities to catch up with in-state rivals Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Shippers continue to struggle to find a reliable way to get freight into the U.S., which is causing major changes to surface transportation patterns.

The Kansas City region, with its centralized location, is becoming a prime area for commercial warehouse space, with KC Smartport expecting 15 million square feet to become available in 2021.

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.

On this episode of The Stockout, Mike Baudendistel explains why it is not as simple as one may think to utilize intermodal transportation to reduce truckload emissions.

Tuesday morning there was big news out of the rail industry: Canadian National Railway (CN) made a stronger offer to acquire the Kansas City Southern (KCS) Railway than what Canadian […]

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

Reliance Partners’ Kelly Teg and Arvin Castellanos detail the insurance basics of intermodal freight.

On this episode of Freightonomics, Anthony Smith and Zach Strickland dive into the state of the intermodal freight world.

Learn more about CIE Manufacturing’s Pioneer Container Chassis line.

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.”

Import volumes are growing rapidly into secondary ports as shippers scramble to build inventory. What are some of the short- and long-term implications to domestic transportation providers?

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

Intermodal shipping is dominated by the largest shippers in the U.S. and operates on a more static network, which gains higher cost efficiency than trucking over longer-mileage runs.

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 […]

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, a proposal to detect drug use through hair testing faces an uphill climb in the Biden administration. Plus, Mississippi mulls a truck parking solution, and the Postal Service is raising rates.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, congestion and gate restrictions from rail partners hampered J.B. Hunt’s intermodal growth in Q4. Plus, stopping a ransomware attack is not as simple as it sounds, and business-to-business activity is booming.

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.

The German automaker wants to put all its time and energy into R&D and building infrastructure that supports the production of EVs, such as plant improvements and equipment upgrades.

Hub Group sees a strong demand environment continuing as most of its customers are operating with lean inventories. The company expects tight freight fundamentals to create a favorable rate environment in 2021.

Managing for yield, Robinson shuns truckload volume growth to take a double-digit price increase.

German forwarder says acquisition will expand its global business in handling nonhazardous bulk liquids such as alcoholic beverages and edible oils.

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services move 9% lower after the company fails to meet recently raised analyst expectations. Intermodal service headwinds and elevated costs were the culprits.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services misses 3Q estimates by 9 cents per share. Revenue and operating income climb 5% but a variety of cost inflation and a tough truck brokerage market weigh on the quarter.

Forward Air announces another acquisition as it advances its no-wait growth plan. The Greeneville, Tennessee-based trucking company adds intermodal drayage provider Value Logistics to its roster.

It is too early to call the intermodal recovery a long-term win for the railroads.

Transportation costs are hitting record levels as companies struggle to grab capacity amidst an unusually early peak season.

Radiant Logistics reports new revenue and earnings records in a fiscal fourth-quarter update. The company has delayed its annual filing and conference call with analysts, citing delays associated with the pandemic.

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.