Economy

A preliminary report released Friday shows growth in the nation’s manufacturing sector is easing this month amid the slowest expansion of new orders so far this year, according the financial information services provider IHS Markit.

Trucking and all other transportation modes except rail carried less cross-border freight by value in July compared to a year earlier, according to new U.S. Transportation Department figures.

Freight shipments across all U.S. domestic modes continued improving in August but remain weak, according to the latest Cass Freight Index, while freight spending moved lower again with both resulting in mixed feelings when it comes to their economic impact.

Nationwide housing starts fell 5.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.14 million units in August, according to newly released data from the Commerce Department on Tuesday, the latest disappointing economic indicator, but there are still feelings overall economic conditions are improving.

Measures of both truckload and intermodal rates posted another rounds of declines, according to new figures released by freight payment processor Cass Information Systems.

New U.S. Transportation Department figures show the amount of for-hire freight rose 1.6% in July from June, the fourth consecutive monthly gain and a new record high.

While a recovery for freight and the overall U.S. economy is in the cards for the fourth quarter of the year, those attending the first sessions of the FTR Transportation Conference in Indianapolis on Wednesday were also told by experts they should not expect a huge boom.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports should be at near-peak levels this month even as retailers work to cope with the Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Friday.

Navistar International Corp. released fiscal third quarter financials on Thursday morning showing its losses grew in the third quarter of the year while revenue fell 18%, following news on Tuesday that Volkswagen is taking a minority interest in the Illinois-based company.

Retail sales are important – not just to the overall economy, but also to trucking – and the game is changing big-time, possibly thanks to an entire generation.

The U.S. economy continued adding more jobs in August but at a slightly slower pace, leading to expectations the Federal Reserve will punt on a possible interest rate hike later this month. A separate report shows factory orders rebounded in the biggest gain in nine months.

The trucking operation Celadon Group Inc. on Thursday reported its fiscal fourth quarter and year-end results for 2016 with both showing sharply lower earnings.

There is slight disagreement when it comes to the health of the nation’s manufacturing industry in the wake of two reports issued on Thursday, but not when it comes to what pulled two gauges lower for August.

U.S. private sector employers reported another month of strong job gains on Wednesday, two days ahead of a government report. With increases in consumer confidence, personal spending and wages, it adds up to talk of a hike in interest rates as soon as September.

New Transportation Department figures show June marked the 18th consecutive month the total value of U.S. freight movements with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico declined from the same time a year earlier.

A preliminary look at the nation’s manufacturing sector shows it continues to expand following a recent downturn. Separate reports show expectations of long-term economic growth have been moved lower and the housing market is suffering from low inventory levels.

Truck tonnage in July hit its lowest level since October 2015, per the most recent American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.

Opinions vary about the effect on the U.S. of the surprise June vote by residents of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, but you should be aware of some of the potential ramifications.

The output from the nation's factories, mines and utilities increased in July, the largest gain since November 2014, and there also are improvements in housing and e-commerce. But there is disagreement over what the latest inflation numbers mean for interest rates.

Overall shipment volumes and pricing are persistently weak, with increased levels of volatility as all levels of the supply chain continue to try to work down inventory levels, according to the latest Cass Freight Index report.