[the48thronin]

Freight index falls to 12-year low

By eTrucker Staff

The Freight Transportation Services Index fell 0.6 percent in May from its April level, declining for the third consecutive month to the lowest level in 12 years, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported yesterday, July 9. However, the May decline was the smallest of the three consecutive decreases.

oh and then after the obligatory greenshoot "it's less than last month"...

The 14.8 percent decline in the Freight TSI from May 2008 to May 2009 was the largest May-to-May decline in the 20 years for which the TSI is calculated. The freight index is also down 14.6 percent in the five years from May 2004, the sixth consecutive month in which the index declined for a five-year period. The index is down 8.4 percent in 10 years for the fifth-ever and the largest 10-year decline in the 20-year history of TSI data; all five of these 10-year declines took place in first five months of 2009.

http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=80045

So when does the entire transportation system collapse as part of the economic collapse?

There is a point, when the disruption of the system causes a massive bankruptsey by those who transport... ships, pipelines,trucks, make way for pedicabs and drums?

[the48thronin]

TORONTO -- All but one Ontario border crossing reported lower commercial traffic numbers in June 2009 compared to the same period from the year before, according to the most recent report by the Public Border Operators Association.

Truck traffic specifically, went down about 26 percent in June compared to 2008 (from 650,000 crossings to about 483,000)

Year to date, commercial traffic crossings all border points with Michigan and New York are declined by nearly a million vehicles to 2.8 million between January to June, from 3.8 million in 2008.

Only the Ogdensburg-Prescott Bridge in northeast Ontario is the only crossing that had positive numbers. It posted an 18 percent improvement compared to June 2008, although, more than likely, the uptick is a result of traffic being diverted from the Seaway International Bridge in Cornwall, which has been closed for a couple months because of a land dispute between Canada Border services and the nearby Mohawk community. For the year, the crossing is still down about 5 percent.

http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=22097

[CelticCross]

More good news:

Lake Carrier's Association
http://www.lcaships.com/

The Source For Information About U.S.-Flag Great Lakes Shipping

Latest Additions

Stone Trade Slumps Badly Again in June
Lakes Coal Trade Struggles Again in May: Text / Tabular
No Flowering for U.S.-Flag Cargo Movement on Lakes in May: Text / Tabular
Ore Trade off Almost 60% in May: Text / Tabular
Demand for Limestone Remained Weak in May

[vision-master]

My trucking broker friend had to take another rate cut.

He makes less money every year now.

[TheDude]

Transportation Service Index chart, taken from BTS | Transportation Services Index data:



The crash in late 2001 for passenger transport was in the wake of 9/11. The freight index has collapsed to August 1997 levels.