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Released: September 22, 2008
Rail Freight Weakness
Traffic on major U.S. railroads continued to weaken in the week ended Sept. 13, as carloads of bulk materials and other large cargoes fell 2.4 percent and rail hauls of intermodal truck containers and trailers dropped 6.1 percent. According to the Association of American Railroads, the declines from the same week last year included a 5 percent decline for carloads for eastern-U.S. carriers, while western lines only saw those large hauls shed 0.6 percent. Some of the factors affecting rail traffic in recent weeks include a series of heavy storms concentrated in the East and along the Gulf Coast, which left railroads to clean away debris or repair tracks and wait for their shippers to resume operations before volume could recover. And industry sources say overall demand has slumped as well.
The timing of the latest data would not capture most of the traffic effects from Hurricane Ike, which hit the broader Houston area earlier this month, and then left a trail of flooding and debris as far as Chicago and parts of Ohio. AAR's reports cover all the big Class I U.S. lines plus some regional carriers. The Western lines benefited from strong coal loadings out of Wyoming, but have seen sharply lower intermodal numbers this year amid a weak "peak season" for import containers arriving to stock warehouses and store shelves ahead of yearend sales. Railroads overall have said that weakness continues to undercut hauls of U.S.-built autos and any materials related to housing. That reflects intermodal as well as carloads, but of carload cargo types that AAR tracks, 18 of 21 were down from the same week last year. However, lower U.S. intermodal numbers also reflect some port shifting by customers, seen in a 4.6 percent increase in that traffic by the two big Canadian lines. Those carriers saw carloads fall 3 percent for the week. For the first 37 weeks of 2008, according to AAR reports, the combined U.S. and Canadian carloads fell 0.7 percent while intermodal units fell nearly 2 percent.
Senate Panel Approves Bridge Funding
A Senate panel this past Wednesday approved legislation that provides an additional $1 billion to help states pay for bridges in need of repair. The bill, which was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by a voice vote, also restructures how federal regulators monitor bridge health and requires states to fix structurally deficient bridges before funds can be withdrawn from their bridge accounts. The legislation was first introduced in the House by Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., after the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis last August.
DOT Focuses on Border Congestion Challenge
The Department of Transportation is looking at ways to reduce congestion at border crossings in California, Texas and Washington. How? By accelerating projects using a combination of public and private financing. "Congestion at our borders is choking both travelers and commerce with excessive wait time and negatively impacting air quality," said Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters in a statement. The projects include a new four-lane highway at San Diego's Otay Mesa East Port of Entry, a new rail bridge across the border and bypass around the city of Laredo, Texas, and a system to provide real-time border crossing information in Blaine, Wash.
NASSTRAC 2009 Conference and Logistics Expo to Take Place in Orlando next April
NASSTRAC announces that its annual conference and expo will take place April 26-29, 2009 once again at the Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Fla. The event is tailored for logistics, transportation or supply chain management professionals who want to learn and network with leading veterans and logistics experts in the industry. “Orlando has been a positive venue for us for the past three years,” said Brian Everett, NASSTRAC’s Executive Director. “It’s easily accessible with major airlines, it’s affordability, and the electricity of a Disney property and as well as other Orlando attractions add to the experience of this conference. We’re excited to be rolling out next year’s agenda shortly and will continue to add educational and networking value that attracts transportation and logistics decision-makers.” Towering 27 stories above the world’s favorite destination of the Walt Disney World Resort, the Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa is just minutes from downtown Orlando and in relative close proximity to the Orlando International Airport.
“The NASSTRAC annual conference promotes strategic thinking, learning, and invaluable networking for transportation and logistics executives,” said NASSTRAC president Eric Morley, director of logistics for Best Buy Co. “NASSTRAC continues to provide high-level content, practical ideas, and networking opportunities that help those of us in this arena to increase efficiencies, streamline the supply chain, and increase the bottom line for our organizations. I’d encourage any logistics professional who is looking for new, innovative ways to contribute to their company’s success to attend this event.” For conference details call NASSTRAC at 952-442-8850, ext. 208 or visit www.NASSTRAC.org. |
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