Where is the Freight Transportation Industry Headed in 2020?

Where is the Freight Transportation Industry Headed in 2020?

5 years ago

2019 in Review After the hot freight market and record profits of 2018, many trucking companies added trucks and drivers to keep up with the expected shippers’ capacity demands in 2019. An index published by the Institute for Supply Management dropped to 47.2 in December, the lowest reading since June 2009 and the fifth straight […]

Are we Heading into a Recession?

6 years ago

Whether you obtain your news from TV, newspapers or social media, it is hard to escape the drumbeat of downbeat updates about the North American and global economies. The negative news is puzzling to those people who monitor some of the leading, and still positive, economic indicators. As noted in a recent paper by […]

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Mid-Year Report on the Freight Transportation Industry

6 years ago

These are the major developments shaping the freight transportation industry in North America in the second half of 2019. 1. We are entering a period of Economic Uncertainty Despite a climate of record low unemployment levels, low inflation, a positive ISM manufacturing index and other encouraging economic indicators, the US Federal Reserve cut interest […]

Are We Heading Into Another Freight Recession?

6 years ago

Global Economic Outlook Early this month, the International Monetary Fund downgraded its outlook for growth in the United States, Europe, Japan and the overall global economy and pointed to heightened trade tensions as a key reason. U.S. trade talks with China continue without resolution, and there are indications that the rate of Chinese economic growth […]

The Freight Market is Hot and it is Going to get Hotter

7 years ago

North American freight markets are witnessing the strongest demand for transportation services in decades. Contract and spot freight rates continue to soar. The contract rate average revenue per mile rose 3.5 percent in 2017. Through the first two months of this year, contract truckload freight rates have jumped 15 percent per mile! “We’ve never seen […]

The Trump Slump and the North American Economy in 2018

7 years ago

Donald Trump created high expectations as he became president in January 2017. These expectations were fueled by his extensive list of campaign promises (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/22/here-are-76-of-donald-trumps-many-campaign-promises/?utm_term=.bb0ed2101fa1 ). While Trump made much of his “Make America Great Again” slogan, one can only look back on the past year as a major failure. While a high quality conservative judge […]

Will Donald Trump be a Successful President?

8 years ago

It is still too early to make an assessment if Donald Trump will succeed or fail as leader of the free world. In the months leading up to the election, and in the short time that he has been in office, a clear profile of Donald Trump’s leadership skills and style is emerging. How he […]

Measuring the Trump Effect on your Country, your Business and You

8 years ago

The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States will likely have a profound effect for years to come. I cannot remember another point in my lifetime where there is the possibility of so much change and disruption to established norms and principles of business. How do we prepare for what could be […]

The American Election Puzzle

9 years ago

The American election process is a long, complex and byzantine exercise that is very puzzling this year. After an extensive set of primaries, Americans selected two candidates, one from each major party, that are widely disliked. Unlike President Obama, John McCain or Mitt Romney, who were respected, this year’s candidates do not command the same […]

Understanding the Canadian Freight Market – Part 1 – Demographics and the Economy

9 years ago

On July 1, Canada celebrated its 149th birthday. Just prior to Canada Day, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of industry professionals on the topic of the Canadian freight market during a Stifel conference call. For those of you trying to learn more about America’s neighbor to the north, this and […]