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Analysis: Freight Payment Index Offers Helpful Regional Benchmark

Regional quarter-over-quarter % change in spending. Source: U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index

If you want to know how your trucking operation is stacking up against other freight shipping businesses in the country, there is a new barometer available, and it offers some features that have not been seen before.

That was the message from U.S. Bank during the American Trucking Associations' annual Management Conference & Exhibition in Orlando in October as it announced its new quarterly Freight Payment Index – which actually is two indices.

One measures changes in shipment activity. The other is a gauge of changes in freight spending activity. Both are based on data processed through U.S. Bank Freight Payment, which processes around $23 billion annually in freight payments for some of the world's largest corporations and government agencies. (You can see the latest report online at www.freight.usbank.com.)

What makes this new gauge unique are two things: One, it breaks the data down into five U.S. regions, based on the state of origin for a shipment. And two, the analysis features commentary from Bob Costello, chief economist from the ATA and one of the most respected people in the field of analyzing both trucking and economics.

This first snapshot revealed just how much things can vary regionally.

For instance, the Northeast region saw the biggest gain in shipments, up 10% in the third quarter from the second quarter. It was helped by better manufacturing activity and slightly higher housing starts.

In sharp contrast, shipments in the Southeast, where activity is usually strong, saw just a 0.1% increase as Hurricane Irma disrupted the supply chain, following a 3.9% second quarter gain. However, at the same time freight spending jumped nearly 4.7% as truck capacity tightened as a result of the storm.

The Midwest led all other regions in overall freight spending, jumping 13.3% from the second ...Read the rest of this story

Rainier Truck Targets 2018 Launch

Image courtesy of Rainier Truck & Chassis LLC

Rainier Truck & Chassis, LLC, announced that it is set to reboot sales and products with a target production launch of summer 2018 for its Class 4-5 and Class 6-7 truck models.

SINOTRUK has signed on to supply its cabins to Rainier's new low-cost, low-tech lineup of cabover trucks. With a starting MSRP of $37,185, the truck will be powered by a Cummins 6.7L diesel, rated at 300 hp and 600 lb.-ft. of torque or a 6.4L HEMI that achieves 370 jp and 429 lb.-ft of torque are standard on the Class 4-5 models. A 6.7L Cummins diesel engine that achieves 325 hp and 750 lb.-ft. of torque will be standard on the Class 6-7 models. In addition, load leveling air suspension will be standard on all models.

Ordering is open at www.rainiertruckandchassis.com.

Rainier first launched its start-up in 2014 but ran into issues with its cabin suppliers and announced that with its partnership with SINOTRUK production is back on schedule.

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