TransCore Canadian Freight Index Hits Record High in January

JOC Staff | Feb 20, 2013 5:24PM EST

TransCore’s Link Logistics Canadian Freight Index showed load volumes in January increased 25 percent from December 2012 and 4 percent from January 2012, surpassing the record set for the month in January 2011 by 3 percent.

Intra-Canada loads represented 24 percent of the total load volumes, and cross-border postings represented 71 percent of the overall load postings.

Equipment postings also started the year with positive increases. January’s postings rose 17 percent from December 2012 and 13 percent year-over-year.  

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TransCore DAT Freight Index Retreats

JOC Staff | Mar 26, 2013 9:46AM EDT

The TransCore DAT North American Freight Index fell in February, returning it to post-recession levels after an “unusually robust” January.

TransCore North American Freight Index

Freight availability fell 2.5 percent year-over-year in February, the first drop since October 2012. The index also dropped 14.3 percent from January’s level. Despite this decline, freight volume for the first two months of 2013 is still over 17 percent higher than in the same period in 2012 thanks to January’s irregular jump.

On a month-to-month basis, the volume of two of the three major equipment types also fell. Van loads dropped 11 percent, and reefer freight volume slid 15 percent. Flatbed freight availability remained flat. Compared with February 2012, freight volume rose 7.6 percent for vans and 7.2 percent for reefers, while flatbed volume fell 11 percent, which is normal for this time of year.

The U.S. average spot market line haul rate for dry vans rose almost 1 percent or 1 cent in February over the month before. The rate was up 1.6 percent year-over-year. The load-to truck ratio has dropped one-tenth of a point or 6 percent since January; it was down 2.3 percent compared to February 2012.

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TransCore services to integrate PC*Miler's mileage, routing solutions

PORTLAND, Ore. -- TransCore’s DAT load boards, Truckload Rate Index, and other services will now incorporate PC*Miler by ALK Technologies as the primary mileage, routing and mapping solution. The integrated product is already available to DAT customers, according to a joint announcement today by the two companies.

“As the industry leader for trucking load boards and rate benchmarking tools, DAT is pleased to partner with ALK, the leader in mileage and routing software,” said David Schrader, senior vice-president of operations at TransCore DAT. “Our customers will now benefit by having the most popular mileage solution in the industry tightly integrated into all our load board and Truckload Rate Index products.”

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to add value to DAT load boards and Truckload Rate Index,” said Craig Fiander, vice-president of marketing, North America, for ALK’s Enterprise Solutions. “Both of our companies are the market leaders and known for exceptional quality and service. The integration of PC*Miler Web services is an excellent fit for our mutual customers who are automatically provided with the most up-to-date directions and mileage.”

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Canadian spot market freight drops 21% in July: TransCore

TORONTO, Ont. -- Spot market freight dropped 21% in July, according to the latest figures from TransCore’s Canadian Freight Index, keeping in line with the traditional summer slowdown, the company said. With the annual onset of summer construction, vacations and company shutdown periods, July experienced the third lowest volumes of any month this year; however, it was the fourth most active July on record finishing 5% behind July 2011.

Cross-border postings decreased two points, accounting for 73% of overall load postings. Intra-Canada postings contributed 23% of the total load volumes, increasing 1% from June.

Equipment postings jumped 9% month-over-month and were up significantly year-over- year, increasing 21%. The equipment-to-loads ratio increased in July, reaching the highest levels for 2012.

Top destinations for loads imported into Canada were: Ontario (54%), Western (23%), Quebec (20%), and Atlantic (3%). Western Canada increased 3%, while Quebec decreased 3%. The remaining regions remained unchanged.

Top regions for import equipment into Canada were: Ontario (53%), Western (23%), Quebec (21%), and Atlantic (3%). Western Canada decreased 1% while Quebec increased 1% The remaining regions remained unchanged.

Regions of origins for loads within Canada were: Western (44%), Ontario (26%), Quebec (22%), and Atlantic (8%). The regions remained unchanged from last month.

The top states of origin for loads destined to Canada in order of most loads were Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Illinois and Texas.

The top US destinations for freight originating in Canada were New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, California and Michigan.

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Holiday rush bolsters reefer rates in US: TransCore

PORTLAND, Ore. -- As refrigerated food products were rushed to market prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, spot market freight availability for refrigerated vans climbed 12%. Reefer rates rose 1.9% nationwide for the seven days ending Nov. 23, according to TransCore's Truckload Rate Index. Reefer rates and freight volume are expected to remain high through mid-December, officials said.

However, Thanksgiving week in the US was a mixed bag for other equipment types, TransCore said. Van freight volume increased 1.6%, but rates slipped 0.2% nationwide on the spot market compared to the previous week. In a week where van rates for major markets were flat to down, Memphis proved to be the exception, with a 2.5% increase in rates on outbound van lanes.

Flatbed rates showed the greatest volatility of the three main trucking transportation modes, as rates slipped 0.7% on an 8.3% decline in freight availability, compared to the prior week. Dallas showed the greatest swing as flatbed rates slid 3.6%, following unusually high rates during the previous week.

Spot market rates are rates paid to the carrier by freight brokers and other freight intermediaries.

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