container imports

SONAR Sightings: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, gains market share; flatbed rejections nose-dive

The highlights from Thursday’s SONAR reports are below. For more information on SONAR — the fastest freight-forecasting platform in the industry — or to request a demo, click here. Also, be sure to check out the latest SONAR update, TRAC — the freshest spot rate data in the industry.

Market Watch for Sept. 15:Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has experienced a boom in outbound volume to become the third-largest truckload market in the country by market share.

Outbound volumes are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/sonar-sightings-harrisburg-pennsylvania-gains-market-share-flatbed-rejections-nose-dive

FreightWaves Classics: Malcom McDowell’s containership begins first journey in 1956

Malcom McLean in the foreground with a Sea-Land container behind him. (Photo: Maersk)

On this date in 1956 the first commercially successful container ship began its maiden voyage on a route from New Jersey to Texas. The Ideal X and its 58 intermodal containers began a revolution in shipping that is still echoing around the world today.

Background

A McLean Trucking Company patch. (Photo: NC Historic Sites)A McLean Trucking Company patch. (Photo: NC Historic Sites)

Malcom P. McLean recognized the potential to haul motor freight when he was just a teenager. The native of Maxton, North Carolina, purchased his first truck in 1934 and began...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classics-malcom-mcdowells-containership-begins-first-journey-in-1956

Ukrainian conflict will lead to more supply chain woes

Chart of the Week: Inbound Ocean Shipments Index, Inbound Ocean TEUs Index – Russia to USA  SONAR: IOSI.RUSUSA, IOTI.RUSUSA

Russian import bookings declined 40% over the past week and will obviously fall further after growing ~64% in 2021 from the previous year, resulting in a 75% increase in goods by value, according to the Census Bureau. This put the imported goods value at its highest level since 2012. This direct economic hit will more than likely be dwarfed by the numerous indirect...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ukrainian-conflict-will-lead-to-more-supply-chain-woes

2022 opens with East Coast vs. West Coast battle for truckload capacity

Chart of the Week:  Outbound Tender Rejection Index – Northeastern Region, West Coast  SONAR: OTRI.URNE, OTRI.URWT

The current U.S. truckload market has opened the year with a ’90s hip-hop scene-style battle between the coasts, except this battle is for truckload capacity and not lyrical dominance. The West Coast regional tender rejection rates (OTRI.URWT) have plummeted to their lowest point since June 2020 as carriers rush to Southern California to take advantage of the trucking trifecta of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/2022-opens-with-east-coast-vs-west-coast-battle-for-truckload-capacity

White House starts publishing supply chain dashboard

With the U.S. economy relying heavily on clearing out freight bottlenecks up and down the supply chain, the White House on Wednesday started a twice-monthly dashboard featuring key performance indicators to measure progress.

Metrics used in the dashboard, compiled by the Biden administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, include ships at anchor at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, cumulative container import volume and retail inventories.

The White House said it plans to publish...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/white-house-starts-publishing-supply-chain-dashboard

Freight flow imbalance is the real capacity issue

Chart of the Week: Truckstop.com 7 Day Van Rate Per Mile Los Angeles to Dallas and Dallas to Los Angeles  SONAR: TSTOPVRPM.LAXDAL, TSTOPVRPM.DALLAX

The biggest reason for the current truckload capacity shortage is the exacerbation of the majority of goods moving from west to east. This relationship is reflected in the spot rate for freight moving from Los Angeles to Dallas and the return trip. Rates are currently almost three times as expensive moving east than west for the exact same mileage.   

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-flow-imbalance-is-the-real-capacity-issue

Inbound containers staying elevated into 2022, congestion limiting ‘larger gains’

Containers backing up at the ports

The National Retail Federation expects imports to the nation’s largest retail container ports to continue at a high clip through at least February. In a Thursday update, the group said its forecasts would have been even higher but congestion, capacity and labor headwinds are limiting throughput.

“The cargo is there for larger gains at several ports but congestion issues are impacting fluid operations,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president of supply chain and customs policy.

Final numbers for...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/inbound-containers-staying-elevated-into-2022-congestion-limiting-larger-gains

Carriers head west for a modern-day gold rush — of freight

Chart of the Week: Longhaul Inbound Tender Rejection Index – Regional – USA  SONAR: LITRI.URNE, LITRI.URNW, LITRI.URSE, LITRI.URSW, LITRI.URWT, LITRI.URMP, LITRI.URMW

Carriers have a clear preference in terms of where they are trying to position themselves in the U.S. and it illustrates just how unbalanced transportation capacity continues to be. Loads traveling more than 800 miles (long haul) to the West Coast have been rejected at nearly half the rate of any other region in the continental...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/carriers-head-west-for-a-modern-day-gold-rush-of-freight

Amazon, Walmart to advise Washington on ocean freight policy

Some of the largest and most powerful companies in the U.S. will now have a say in shaping transportation policy in a public forum at the Federal Maritime Commission.

The FMC announced on Thursday the first 24 members to serve on its newly formed National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC), evenly divided between importers and exporters. Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Walmart (NYSE: WMT), Target (NYSE: TGT) and Office Depot (NASDAQ: ODP) are some of the big-name online and retail companies representing...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/amazon-walmart-to-advise-washington-on-ocean-freight-policy

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