[FFW News] DOT funding on the docket

Welcome back to Freight Weekly

Need more news and freight industry intelligence? Check out the Freight Forward newsletter exclusively on LinkedIn. Freight Forward is an authority written and compiled by veteran supply chain writer and researcher Cathy Morrow Roberson. Boxy, and I even read it. Be sure to subscribe and enjoy it.

📈 BY THE NUMBERS: Important numbers impacting freight and logistics

⛽ Diesel: $4.366 gal (🔽from $4.454 last week) - Source: EIA*

*EIA economic data delayed due to platform maintenance, Nov 8-10.

✈️ Air Cargo Index (Sep ‘23): 156.4 (🔼from 155.9 in Aug ‘23) - Source: FRED

🚢 Global Container Index: $1,166.97 - Source: Freightos

Logistics News for Nov. 8, 2023

💸Transportation Department appropriations bill reaches House floor

Shortly after the Republican-dominated House selected Mike Johnson, there has been concern among some observers that the government shutdown drama will escalate. While the concern remains for some, a comprehensive transportation funding bill for the 2024 fiscal year is expected to hit the House floor in the next few days — next week at the latest. Republicans are proposing cuts. Read here…

🛫FedEx air cargo business pushing pilots away due to volume contraction

The air cargo business for FedEx Express is reportedly encouraging pilots who are employed by its business to take jobs at a regional passenger feeder line for American Airlines to augment loss in flying schedules due to shipping demand in the air cargo space buckling. This was sent in a memo to their pilots. Read…

🚢A.P. Møller – Mærsk to reduce jobs due to worsening ocean market

The large ocean carriers announced they intend to cut at least 2,500 jobs, which will be eliminated in 2024. According to a recent earnings call, this is to cut costs and bring jobs at the carrier down to under 100,000. More. They call this “enhancing competitiveness and resilience through a leaner operation.”

🚆Freight rail traffic rose by 1 percent year-over-year in October

According to data recently released by the Association of American Railroads, United States railroads logged about 1,997,322 carloads and intermodal units last month, a 1 percent increase compared with October 2022 traffic. More…

📈Descartes says U.S. container imports have outpaced pre-pandemic levels

Container import volumes for major U.S. ports have continued to outpace pre-pandemic levels, indicating different outlooks on the status of ocean cargo. This is according to Descartes’ November Global Shipping Report. U.S. container import volumes in Oct 2023 rose 4.7% from Sep, reaching 2.37 mil TEUs. Here…

🙅🏼Union Pacific must face common-carrier complaint, says STB

Class I rail carrier Union Pacific must face a common-carrier complaint lodged against them, according to a ruling made by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). STB ruled 3-2 to allow Twin Cities shipper Sanimax to proceed in a case of alleged damages incurred on the company by Union Pacific. Read…

☕Stories for the coffee drinking this morning☕

• “The War on Hamas Spells Trouble for the War on Inflation” - Bloomberg Opinion

• “The holiday spending outlook is sluggish across thousands of retailers: CNBC Supply Chain Survey” - CNBC online

• “End Of UAW Strike Spotlights Supply Chain, EVs' Future” - Law360 (paywall)

• “Supreme Court denies UPS driver’s request for vehicle accommodation” - Freight Waves

Compiled by Michael McGrady – news analyst and writer.

Do you have a tip? Feedback? Email him – [email protected]