Canadian Shippers Report Higher Surface Rates

Ground transportation rates paid by Canadian shippers rose 1.6 percent month-to-month in November, the ninth straight monthly increase since March2011.

Rates paid by those shippers climbed 7.1 percent in aggregate from March to November last year, according to the Canadian General Freight Index. Fuel surcharges represent a sizeable chunk of those costs, according to Nulogx, a transportation management company and sponsor of the CGFI index.

The company’s base rate index, which excludes accessorial charges, increased only 0.4 percent in November from October, and 4.3 percent from March 2011.

“We are starting to see increases in some sectors that have been hit the hardest during the economic downturn” said Doug Payne, President and COO of Nulogx. “This may be a sign that we are seeing both an increase in demand as well as continued

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