Fleet Management

Newly released figures show the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index once again remained higher in May than in each of the past three years, coming in 3.5% higher than May 2014 and 9.5% higher than two years ago.

Tags: Economy, Intermodal, Cass Intermodal Linehaul Index, Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, Freight Rates

Fueled partly by an increase in sales to first-time buyers, existing-home sales in May rose to their highest pace in nearly six years.

Tags: Economy, Home Sales, Housing Starts

Consumer confidence rebounded this month, with more people expecting increases in their wages, according to the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers released Friday.

Tags: Economy, Consumer Confidence, Producer Prices

The FTR Trucking Conditions Index fell 9% to a reading of 6.7 in April, weakened by more available capacity and less pressure on rates.

Tags: Economy, FTR, Trucking Conditions Index, Freight Capacity

Retail sales in the U.S. continue improving after slowing at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, but things could still be better.

Tags: Economy, Retail Sales

Large declines in trucking and pipeline, coupled with smaller declines in rail carloads and rail intermodal resulted in a decline in the total amount of U.S. for-hire freight movements in April from March.

Tags: Economy, Freight, Freight Index

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports has returned to normal levels following ratification of a new West Coast labor agreement, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report.

Tags: Freight, Ports, Port Trucking, Economy, Intermodal

The current trucking employment level is close to its pre-recession peak, while nationwide employers added more jobs during May.

Tags: Economy, Unemployment, Employment

Two days before a government report on unemployment is set to be released, a report from a payroll processor shows 201,000 non-farm, private jobs were added in the U.S. during May, the biggest gain since January.

Tags: Economy, Non-Manufacturing, Employment

New orders for factory-made goods continue to disappoint, falling 0.4% in April from the month before and marking the eighth decline in the last nine months.

Tags: Economy, Durable Goods, Factory Orders, Factory Shipments

Business conditions in the nation’s manufacturing sector turned around in May from the month before, while construction spending hit a six-year high. A weak spot? Consumer spending.

Tags: Economy, Manufacturing, Consumer Spending, Construction Spending

A new government reports shows the American economy contracted in the first quarter of the year for the second straight time.

Tags: Economy, GDP, Consumer Confidence

Newly released figures show the value of freight moved between the U.S. and its North American Free Trade Agreement neighbors totaled $96.1 billion in March, a 5.3% decline from a year ago, but three out of five transportation modes carried more cross-border cargo.

Tags: Canada, Economy, Cross-Border Trucking, Mexico

A measure of consumer confidence has increased following a sharp downturn, while new home sales rebounded strongly, according to reports released on Tuesday.

Tags: Economy, Consumer Confidence, Home Sales

An advance report shows both new orders and shipments for manufactured durable goods declined in April, but a key indicator increased for the second consecutive month.

Tags: Economy, Durable Goods, Non-Manufacturing

Consumer prices moved barely higher in April, but it was the third consecutive monthly increase, according to a new Commerce Department report.

Tags: Economy, Consumer Prices

Truckload linehaul rates declined in April from the month before while intermodal rates moved higher, according to two separate reports released on Thursday.

Tags: Economy, Cass Intermodal Linehaul Index, Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, Freight Rates

A first look at the nation’s manufacturing sector shows activity has declined for the second straight month. However, a measure of future economy activity is on the upswing.

Tags: Economy, Manufacturing, Home Sales, Leading Economic Indicators

New homes starts in the U.S. increased dramatically in April from the month before, jumping 20.2% and hitting its highest level in more than seven years.

Tags: Economy, Housing Starts, Home Building

U.S. industrial production fell 0.3% in April for its fifth consecutive monthly loss, according to a Federal Reserve report issued Friday.

Tags: Economy, Consumer Confidence, Industrial Production, Consumer Sentiment

U.S. retail sales in April were virtually unchanged from March, according to a Commerce Department report released Wednesday morning.

Tags: Economy, Retail Sales

North American freight shipment volume and payments were up for the third month in a row during April, according to the latest readings from the Cass Freight Index.

Tags: Economy, Cass Freight Index

The FTR Trucking Conditions Index fell slightly in March to a reading of 7.3, reflecting lessened demand for truck services and normalizing fuel costs.

Tags: Economy, FTR, Trucking Conditions Index, Manufacturing

Unemployment in the U.S. fell in April, hitting a near seven-year low following weak job additions in the first quarter of the year.

Tags: Economy, Unemployment, Employment

The economy is in a “particularly volatile state,” with some saying it is going up while others think it is going down, according to Noel Perry, founder of Transport Economics, speaking at the ALK Transportation Technology Summit.

Tags: Economy, ALK