This country’s most recent logistics numbers (from the Logistics Market Snapshot, courtesy of the Georgia Center of Innovation) show consumers continuing to drive logistics activity. Specifically:
- Intermodal rail traffic in May 2013 was 3% higher than in May 2012 and 1.1% higher than April 2013 totals. Intermodal loadings have experienced year-over-year gains for 42 straight months (Source: AAR.org)
- In 2012, trucks moved 9.4 billion tons of freight, or 68.5% of all domestic shipments. During the same period, trucking generated $642.1 billion in gross freight-related revenues, or 80.7% of the nation's freight bills.
- The Consumer Confidence Index increased to 76.2 in May 2013 from 68.1 in April 2013. (Source: The Conference Board)
- Retail and food service sales rose to $421 billion in May, up 0.6% from the previous month, and up 4.3% above May 2012. Non-store retailer sales were up 11.3% from last year. (Source: US Census)
- U.S. 3PL market gross revenues increased by 6% in 2012 to $141.8 billion. Domestic transportation management led financial results for 3PL segments in 2012, increasing 9.2%. 3PL revenues are expected to increase 4.7% in 2013 to $148.4 billion. (Source: Armstrong & Associates)
Here are the other market highlights:
Transportation Indexes:
• Dow Jones Transportation index fell 0.7%during the month of May. (Stock performance of twenty large, well-known U.S. companies in the transportation industry, average of May 10th thru June 10th)
• NASDAQ Transportation Index increased 2.8%in May. (Averaged share weights of NASDAQ-listed companies classified as transportation companies, average of May 10th thru June 10th)
• The USDOT's freight transportation services index fell 1.2%in April 2013. The index’s reading of 112.4was up 1.2%from April 2012. (Source: US DOT)
• The May shipments index rose 2.9%over the previous month and fell 0.3% year-over-year. The May expenditures index remained the same for the month, and decreased 2.6%year-over-year. (Source: Cass Information Systems | Cassinfo.com) (Based upon transportation dollars and shipments of Cass clients comprised of over 400 shipping companies)
Imports and Exports:
• Import shipment volume, in TEUs, at U.S. ports increased 3% in May from the previous month and fell 2.2% year-over-year. U.S. vessel imports in May increased for the second consecutive month and are the highest since last August. The number of bills of lading, or total shipments, filed with U.S. Customs totaled 786 thousand in May, up 2.5% from April. (Source: Zepol Corporation | zepol.com)
• Import volume through major U.S. container ports is expected to increase 1.1%in June. In April, the latest month for which numbers are available, U.S. container ports handled 1.31 million TEUs, a 0.1% decrease over the same month last year. Total U.S. containerized imports are expected to increase 1.9%during the first half of 2013. (Source: NRF/Hackett Associates)
• During the second quarter, overall confidence levels in the shipping industry increased to their highest level in 2 ½ years. The average confidence level expressed by respondents in the market in which they operate was 5.9 on a scale from 1 to 10, making it the highest figure since the 6.0 recorded in November 2010. Geographically, confidence levels were highest for the shipping industry in North America (6.0), while levels in Europe and Asia were at 5.8. (Source: Moore Stephens)
Employment:
• The unemployment rate in America increased to 7.6% in May 2013 as there were 175,000 net new jobs. (Source: US DOL)
• The trucking industry lost 700 jobs in May after posting gains of 11,700 in April. The trucking workforce decreased 0.05%over the previous month and increased 3% over the previous year. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Rail:
• Railroad bulk carload freight in May 2013 rose 2.8%fromApril 2013. Freight traffic in May rose 0.7% from May 2012. Carloads excluding coal and grain increased 3.6% over the previous year. (Source: AAR.org)(Report includes rail car-loadings by 19 different major commodity categories as well as intermodal units)
• Intermodal rail traffic in May 2013 was 3% higher than in May 2012 and 1.1% higher than April 2013 totals. Intermodal loadings have experienced year-over-year gains for 42straight months. (Source: AAR.org)(Report includes rail car-loadings by 19 different major commodity categories as well as intermodal units)
Trucking:
• The ATA’s seasonally adjusted cargo index fell 0.2%in April after rising 0.9% in March. The for-hire truck tonnage index rose 4.3%year-over-year. (Source: American Trucking Association | Trucking.org)
• The spot market for truckload freight in May rose 3.1%compared to the previous month, and was 9.9% lower year-over-year. Truck capacity fell 0.4%for the month, andwas up 24% year-over-year. (Source: DAT Trendlines | www.dat.com)
Air:
• Global air freight traffic in April increased 1.4%from one year ago, and rose 0.5% from the previous month. North American air freight in April fell 0.1% year-over-year. (Source: IATA.org) (Global air freight covers international and domestic scheduled air traffic. North American traffic includes only domestic freight traffic.)
• In April, the index of East-West air cargo rates rose 1.9 points from March. The average price of air cargo leaving the United States in April stood at $3.21 per kilogram. (Source: Drewry) (The Drewry East-West Air Freight Price Index is based on the average of rates ($US per kg) for air freight services on 21 major East-West routes.)
Ocean:
• Import shipment volume, in TEUs, at U.S. ports increased 3% in May from the previous month and fell 2.2% year-over-year. U.S. vessel imports in May increased for the second consecutive month and are the highest since last August. The number of bills of lading, or total shipments, filed with U.S. Customs totaled 786 thousand in May, up 2.5% from April. (Source: Zepol Corporation | zepol.com)
Warehousing:
• The U.S. average industrial vacancy rate was 8.6% during Q1 2013, down from 8.7% in the previous quarter. Overall vacancy was 9.2%in Atlanta and 11.7%in Savannah during the first quarter. (Source: Cushman & Wakefield)
• In Q1 2013, warehouse and distribution rental rates in the US averaged $4.76 per square foot. (Source: Cushman & Wakefield)
Purchasing Managers Index:
• The National PMI fell 1.7 points to 49.0 in May 2013. New orders fell 3.5 points to 48.8 and production decreased 4.9 points to 48.6. (Source: Institute for Supply Management) (The PMI combines data on new orders, inventory, production, supplier deliveries, and employment. A reading above 50 indicates that the manufacturing economy is general
