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Sales of existing homes surge in February after a year of decline. 

• Durable manufactured goods orders hold steady excluding transportation equipment.
• Knight-Swift to buy U.S. Xpress, establishing a truckload fleet of about 25,000 tractors.
• The spot market for truck freight sees a largely status quo week.
• Intermodal volumes remain weak as saber-rattling begins at west coast ports.

Manufacturing output and retail sales were lackluster in February. 

• Retail inventories were leaner in January, reducing prospects for a stronger correction.
• Housing starts and permits see solid increases in February.
• Van segments’ spot rates reverse their gains from the prior week.
• STB approves Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger.
  
  

U.S. economy adds 311,000 payroll jobs in February. 

• Job openings decline in January from an upward revision of prior data. 
• Trucking loses the most payroll jobs in a month since April 2020. 
• Van segments posted their strongest spot rate gains of the year. 
• Intermodal volumes are still sluggish, but coal spurs volume gains in rail carload.

New orders for core capital goods rise in January, but real orders were flat. 

•  Retail inventory gain in January lags sales for the month. 
•  Mortgage rates rise, diesel prices fall in the latest week. 
•  Spot rates in trucking move slightly higher. 
•  Carload volumes are stagnant overall; intermodal takes a step down due to Lunar New Year.