March trucking index- not the bottom, yet.
#1
05-19-2009, 04:28 PM
March trucking index- not the bottom, yet.
trucking news: Ata reports for-hire tonnage index is down 4.5 percent
jeff berman, group news editor -- logistics management, 4/30/2009 arlington, va.—following two months of growth, the american trucking associations (ata) reported this week that its tonnage index slipped in march for its first month-to-month decrease of 2009. the ata said that its advanced seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index was down 4.5 percent in march. the for-hire index was up 4.5 percent cumulatively in january and march. and the ata’s seasonally-adjusted index equaled 101.4 (2000=100), which represents its lowest level since march 2002. The ata’s not seasonally adjusted index in march was up 10.2 percent over february at 104.7, indicating that fleets reported higher volumes in january. But ata officials said that this gain falls short of the typical 15-20 percent increase that typically occurs from february to march. what’s more, another sign that tonnage levels remain depressed is that tonnage contracted 12.2 percent in march and is the second-worse year-over-year decrease, following december 2008 when tonnage dipped 12.5 percent. even though tonnage remains down, ata chief economist said the bottom has not been reached. “many fleets were telling us during march that freight was getting a little better,” costello said in a statement. “the problem is that freight should be significantly better in march, which is why the seasonally adjusted index fell. While the industry is desperate for some positive news, it is unfortunate that march’s data suggests the industry has not hit bottom just yet.” similar views and observations were heard at this week’s national shippers strategic council (nasstrac) annual conference in orlando, fla., with trucking executives telling lm that business conditions and volumes started to appear “less worse” in march, but there is still ways to go before a full recovery is seen. last month, stephens inc. Managing director thom albrecht wrote in a research note that despite a few inferences that freight volumes are seeing moderating declines and/or even establishing a floor, nothing suggests any sort of measurable recovery. And even though tonnage has seen gains in recent months albrecht pointed out tonnage has not seen these current low levels since september 2003. albrecht told lm in an interview that he focuses on the not seasonally adjusted index on a year-over-year basis for an “apples-to-apples” comparison. “this is what the actual truckers feel out there,” he said. “i’m not a big fan of seasonally adjusted data.” he added that the ata’s not seasonally adjusted index fell 8.5 percent year-over-year in march, coming off of a 2.1 percent year-over-year decline in march 2008. trucking serves as a barometer of the u.s. Economy, because it represents nearly 70 percent of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods, according to the ata. The ata notes that it hauled 10.2 billion tons of freight in 2008, and that motor carriers collected $660.3 billion—or 83.1 percent—of total revenue earned by all transport modes. http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/ca6655487.html?industryid=48467 
#2
05-19-2009, 04:34 PM
Just completed a couple of phat loads, to California and back. The eery thing is, 'back' is the Dow plant in Midland, MI.
We lost our contract with Dow and our terminal has been closed. I'm sitting in the terminal right now, it's a good-sized terminal and it's quiet and peaceful, set back in the woods a bit. I'll probably have to deadhead 150-350 miles to a tankwash and to get another load. I'm not trying to depress anyone with these postings, I'm just trying to stay on top of things. I wonder how much capacity has been taken out of the industry the past couple of years. Last edited by lowrange; 05-19-2009 at 04:36 PM.
#3
05-19-2009, 06:47 PM
Just completed a couple of phat loads, to California and back. The eery thing is, 'back' is the Dow plant in Midland, MI.
We lost our contract with Dow and our terminal has been closed. I'm sitting in the terminal right now, it's a good-sized terminal and it's quiet and peaceful, set back in the woods a bit. I'll probably have to deadhead 150-350 miles to a tankwash and to get another load. I'm not trying to depress anyone with these postings, I'm just trying to stay on top of things. I wonder how much capacity has been taken out of the industry the past couple of years.
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#4
05-19-2009, 07:53 PM
Deserted. Tankwash, everything. How are things over there, Mike? As I said, I just had a nice Cali run. Tomorrow, I pick up a load in the Joliet vicinity going toward Baltimore to try to get back into that little niche. It's working for me, you just hear things. And, seeing that terminal...a ghost town.... Anyway, I think it was Transport Service that got the Dow contract.
#5
05-19-2009, 10:55 PM
Deserted. Tankwash, everything. How are things over there, Mike? As I said, I just had a nice Cali run. Tomorrow, I pick up a load in the Joliet vicinity going toward Baltimore to try to get back into that little niche. It's working for me, you just hear things. And, seeing that terminal...a ghost town.... Anyway, I think it was Transport Service that got the Dow contract.
I have been trying to stick close to our Chicago terminal as they seem to be the only terminal that has consistant freight on a day in day out basis. It's been slow for sure but keeping my head above water so far.
__________________
"I love college football. It's the only time of year you can walk down the street with a girl in one arm and a blanket in the other, and nobody thinks twice about it." --Duffy Daugherty
#7
05-20-2009, 12:55 AM
Interesting, we got alot of our Dow trailers washed there, but the last few times I went to Transport Service to get them done, so that might explain things. I know that it was a union terminal so not surprised that it ended up closing after they lost the Dow contract, I can't count the number of time that my BOL from Dow said do not ship by Quality Carriers.....
I have been trying to stick close to our Chicago terminal as they seem to be the only terminal that has consistant freight on a day in day out basis. It's been slow for sure but keeping my head above water so far.  What? Some kind of conspiracy? I wonder what the story was there. Who did we piss off and how? Anyway, I was talking to one of the Transport Service drivers and they are jamming them on the delivery times. I won't miss that. Transport Service wouldn't do Lotran 35A, or whatever it is called- herbicide. I'd have gotten a brokered shorty out of there if I could have found someone to wash me out in Midland.
#8
05-20-2009, 12:59 AM
Just completed a couple of phat loads, to California and back. The eery thing is, 'back' is the Dow plant in Midland, MI.
We lost our contract with Dow and our terminal has been closed. I'm sitting in the terminal right now, it's a good-sized terminal and it's quiet and peaceful, set back in the woods a bit. I'll probably have to deadhead 150-350 miles to a tankwash and to get another load. I'm not trying to depress anyone with these postings, I'm just trying to stay on top of things. I wonder how much capacity has been taken out of the industry the past couple of years.
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#9
05-20-2009, 01:05 AM
The tanker rates are good, though I don't have any past to compare them to. Yes, you have the unpaid washout, but I don't really mind that. The trick for me is, can I get the freight? So far it's there. Not a lot, but enough. The important thing is I'm not working 7 days a work for low rates just to get by. When I do work, I make enough so that I can actually afford to sit and mess around on the computer for a few days. How's the flatbed end? |
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