Truckload Capacity Seen Tightening

The weekly Longbow Research Truckload Barometer increased 1.3 percent last week, ending a month-long drop in April, indicating tighter availability of trucks in parts of the U.S., the investment research firm said Tuesday.

The barometer was up 46 percent year-over-year April 11 and is now up 17 percent from a year ago, indicating that demand and supply are closer to equilibrium.

The weekly index measures available freight against available truckload equipment, climbing higher as capacity contracts, the Wall Street investment firm said.

By the Numbers:
U.S. Surface Trade With Mexico Via Truck 2008-2011.

Longbow and other research firms forecast increasingly tight truck capacity thanks to higher equipment costs, fuel costs, driver costs and financing costs.

The weekly index showed capacity was tightest in the Northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, followed by the Central South and Southeast.

Seasonal produce shipping demand is likely constricting capacity in some of those areas. That demand may tighten capacity in the Midwest later in the season.

-- Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @wbcassidy_joc.