Most Recent Posts

Retail inventories-to-sales ratios remained steady at 1.32 overall and 1.13 excluding automotive, reflecting historically lean levels. New durable goods orders surged 9.9% in July, driven by a significant rebound in aircraft orders, although core capital goods orders showed only a modest decline.

Unemployment benefits and mortgage rates remained stable, while diesel prices fell to their lowest since January 2022, and the trucking industry saw a net increase in carriers despite historically low spot rates.

For the week ending August 24, North American rail traffic increased 1.3% year-over-year, driven by a 7.1% rise in intermodal traffic despite a 4.5% drop in carloads, largely due to a short Canadian rail work stoppage, while YTD totals show a 2.3% increase with intermodal up 8.1% and carloads down 3.2%.

In Q2, GDP grew by 2.8% annualized, with the freight economy rising 5.3%. Real consumer spending increased by 0.2% in June. Retail inventories remained lean relative to sales.

The aircraft sector significantly impacted durable goods orders. Existing home sales fell sharply in June, while new home sales slightly declined. Mortgage rates remained stable.

Diesel prices declined for the second consecutive week, easing transportation costs. Spot rates for flatbed and van increased year-over-year. Rail traffic showed mixed results: carload traffic was down, but intermodal traffic was up. A new rail safety bill was introduced in the U.S. House.

In June, manufacturing output surged to a 20-month high, with automotive production nearly tying its record peak. Real retail trade sales also saw an increase. Although inventories remained relatively stable compared to sales in May, housing starts rose in June but were still down year-over-year, while homes under construction continued to decline. Mortgage rates decreased again in the latest week, and diesel prices fell after four consecutive increases. Van spot rates continued to run higher year-over-year, and rail traffic showed some recovery from the holiday lull. Additionally, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) has scheduled a hearing to discuss rail growth strategies.

In June, inflation was mild at both the consumer and producer levels, with consumer prices declining month-over-month for the first time since May 2020. This was mainly due to falling gasoline and diesel prices. Truck insurance premiums also decreased after more than a year of gains. Additionally, new applications for transportation and warehousing businesses saw their largest increase since August 2022, alongside recent gains in new trucking authorities. This suggests the truck freight market has bottomed out.

In June, employment showed stability with slower growth and slight revisions from previous months. Job openings remained high, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by about 1 million. Trucking industry employment held steady overall, despite declines in sectors like truckload and local specialized trucking. Economic indicators across sectors varied, highlighting ongoing challenges and adjustments post-pandemic.