Rail & Intermodal

There are seven Class I railroads in the U.S. that haul the largest share of domestic and international goods: BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad in the West, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern in the East, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern Railway. Along with regional short line carriers, these railroads haul a variety of bulk and retail goods, from coal and grain to consumer goods.

 
21 May 2013
DNJ Intermodal Services will open a new office in Omaha, Neb., on June 1.
 
21 May 2013
Genesis Energy will expand its rail terminal in Natchez, Miss., and construct a new unit train loading facility in Wyoming in the Powder River Basin of the Niobrara shale play.
U.S. diesel prices through May 20, 2013. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
 
21 May 2013
U.S. diesel prices saw slight increases in the week ending May 20, the second week of rising prices after a 10-week slump, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
 
20 May 2013
Romania pulled the partial privatization of the state-owned rail company after potential investors, including a US short line operator, failed to pre-qualify for the bidding process.
 
17 May 2013
Grupo TMM reported a net loss of 165.6 million Mexican pesos (about US$13.4 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared with a net loss of $11.3 million in the first quarter of 2012.
North American rail volumes through May 11, 2013. Source: Association of American Railroads
 
16 May 2013
North American intermodal traffic was up year-over-year for the sixth consecutive week, according to the Association of American Railroads. This pushed volume to its highest level since March 2.
 
16 May 2013
The Senate's passage of the Water Resources Development Act on Wednesday paves the way for increased investment in ports, and speedier completion of maritime and inland waterway projects. Because the bill is 294 pages and far from a page-turner, The Journal of Commerce decided to break down what the Senate version calls for and what challenges the legislation faces ahead.
Interactive rail dashboard: financial performance of major U.S. and Canadian railroads in the first quarter of 2013.
 
14 May 2013
Anyone with doubts of the U.S. Class I railroad industry’s pricing power and improved efficiency, should look at the major carriers’ first quarter financials.
 
14 May 2013
Nordic Cold Storage has reached an agreement with South Carolina State Ports Authority to terminate the lease on its warehouse facility in Greer, S.C., clearing the way for a $43 million inland port to be built in its place.
U.S. overall spot rates, week of May 13, 2013. Source: IDS Transportation Services, LLC
 
14 May 2013
The overall U.S. intermodal index continued to inch down this week due to declines in three of the four main directional indices, according to data on all-inclusive 53-foot door-to-door spot pricing quoted by railroads and provided by the 3PL IDS.

Commentary

 
More so than at any time in the past decade, forces ranging from macroeconomic trends to technology innovations are demanding transportation procurement practitioners to be part subject matter expert, part diplomat and part visionary to accomplish value creation.