U.S. rail freight increases

Tue May 25, 2004
The JOURNAL of COMMERCE ONLINE

During the week ending May 15, U.S. railroads increased carloads and intermodal loads 5 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively, compared with similar 2003 data, according to the Association of American Railroads. Estimated total weekly volume of 31.6 billion ton-miles rose 6 percent.

During 2004's first 19 weeks, U.S. roads moved 6,343,330 carloads, up 3.4 percent, and 3,838,319 trailers and containers, up 7.9 percent compared with the same 2003 period's traffic. Estimated total volume of 571.4 billion ton-miles rose 4.9 percent.

Canadian railroads increased weekly carloads 10.3 percent to 69,576 units, but intermodal loads totaling 44,039 units dropped 1.5 percent compared with similar 2003 data.

During the year's first 19 weeks, Canadian roads moved 1,289,433 carloads, up 7.6 percent, and 778,214 trailers and containers, down 0.3 percent compared with last year.

On a combined cumulative-volume basis through 19 weeks, 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian roads moved 7,632,763 carloads and 4,616,533 intermodal loads, a 4.1 percent and 6.4 percent increase, respectively, compared with similar 2003 data.

Meanwhile, Mexico's TFM S.A. de C.V. said 8,222 carloads and 2,545 intermodal loads during the week ending May 15 represented 6.8 percent and 30.4 percent drops, respectively, compared with the same 2003 week's data. Through 19 weeks, TFM moved 158,511 carloads, down 4.7 percent, and 61,217 trailers and containers, down 11 percent compared with last year.
 

FedEx Freight raises rates

Mon May 24, 2004
The JOURNAL of COMMERCE ONLINE

FedEx Corp. on Monday said it will put in place a general rate increase of 5.9 percent at its FedEx Freight trucking unit on June 14.

FedEx Freight, a unit of the diversified transport group which carries shared-loads cargoes, said in a news release that the increases would apply to interstate and intrastate traffic and selected shipments between the United States and Mexico and Canada. FedEx Freight, which last quarter had a 32 percent jump in operating profit on an 11 percent revenue rise, said the rate increases reflected higher spending on equipment, insurance, security and health-care costs. The unit has annual revenue of about $2.3 billion.