State of Freight TODAY

Insights: Coal Industry

Coal will continue to be a significant commodity for railroads in the immediate future, but it will never return to the dominant position that it held in the twentieth century.

The construction sector began a strong rally before the pandemic and made a rapid recovery as the economy opened back up. Construction is poised for strong growth over the next two years.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices skyrocketing in a U.S. economy already reeling from inflation. War injects further uncertainty into the outlook, but a sizable negative effect on the economy and freight is hardly a sure bet.

Reduced need for newsprint, declining net exports, and substitution of plastics for paper in packaging have impacted paper demand, but e-commerce growth with increased demand for packaging materials has balanced these losses.

2021 was a challenge for the intermodal industry. Coming off the pandemic-dented 2020, 2021 dawned with the promise and hope of better consistency and growth for intermodal and the supply chain in general.

In 2020, the U.S. became a net exporter of petroleum products. This is the result of a fifteen-year trend toward increased domestic production, increased exports, and decreased imports.

Most Recent Posts

Insights: Coal Industry

Insights: Construction Industry

Insights: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Insights: Paper Industry

Intermodal Challenges Persist

Insights: Oil and Gas Industry

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