It’s that time of year; time to look forward and plan for the year. In order to have a better idea of where the economy and industry are headed, we always like to look back and review from where we came and what happened.
The first week of 2019 saw three of America’s largest companies announce revenue expectation reductions, signaling a potential cooling of the U.S. shipping market.
Among news of poor performance in the Chinese economy, one of the most distressing signals for foreign retailers and manufacturers is Apple’s announcement on Wednesday that the company had reduced revenue expectations due to poor iPhone sales in China.
Manufacturing leads first-party logistics growth because of the sector’s long-established supply chains. Retail is the next-largest contributor to first-party logistics growth through the impact of e-commerce.
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.
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.
Universal and other carriers with exposure to automotive verticals face impact of GM plant shutdowns.
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.
A monthly survey of all the important economic developments from the past month, and a look at some of the key trends to watch throughout the month of November.
35 companies are being spotlighted in Venture Atlanta 2018, double the number of last year. These companies are already successful and making strides in a variety of venture and tech-related firms. Here’s a brief look at 10 of these companies, each of whom had a mere 5 minutes to pitch.
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.
Survey data from the manufacturing and service sectors continue to point towards robust growth in the 3rd quarter. Manufacturing activity slipped slightly from multi year highs during the month, but service activity has pushed to record highs despite shortages in labor and trucking capacity.
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.
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.
“It’s not just about cars and satellites and cereal,” says CEO Lou Rassey. “It’s about feeding and empowering the world with the things we make. That’s the heart of Fast Radius.”
Survey data from the manufacturing sector improved significantly in August, in a sign that activity continues at a strong pace after robust growth in the 2nd quarter.
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.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …A survey of nearly 16,000 warehouse workers uncovers three key factors to attracting and retaining supply chain talent in anticipation of holiday peak season and single-digit unemployment rate.
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.
