/ By Charity Boughner / Railroad/ • • • • • / 0 Comments

Class I Employment Up

According to the figures released by the Surface Transportation Board Class I railroad employment was up 1.11 percent in April compared to April 2012, and up 0.44 percent from March 2013.

All categories gained year-over-year except Transportation (other than train and engine) which was down 0.26 percent.  The category with the largest gain was Professional and administrative, up 2.66 percent from last year.  Executives, officials, and staff assistants category was up 2.10 percent, Maintenance-of-Way and structures was up 1.04 percent, Maintenance of equipment and stores was up 0.93 percent, and Transportation (train and engine) was up 0.91 percent. Read More

/ By Charity Boughner / Helpful Information/ • • • / 0 Comments

Click It or Ticket

click or ticket logoMay 20 through June 2 is the 2013 National Seat Belt Enforcement Crackdown, and Click It or Ticket campaign.  The mission of the Click It or Ticket campaign is to crack down on seat belt non-use and to reduce highway fatalities.  Seat belts are the most effective safety feature ever invented and have helped save thousands of lives; still one in five Americans fail to regularly wear a seat belt when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.

In 2008, seat belts saved more than 13,000 lives nationwide.  Seat belts saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 and 2008, enough to fill a large sports arena.  Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Please remember to buckle up every time you are in a vehicle.

Click It or Ticket Video

/ By Charity Boughner / Helpful Information/ • • • / 0 Comments

Click It or Ticket

click or ticket logoMay 20 through June 2 is the 2013 National Seat Belt Enforcement Crackdown, and Click It or Ticket campaign.  The mission of the Click It or Ticket campaign is to crack down on seat belt non-use and to reduce highway fatalities.  Seat belts are the most effective safety feature ever invented and have helped save thousands of lives; still one in five Americans fail to regularly wear a seat belt when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.

In 2008, seat belts saved more than 13,000 lives nationwide.  Seat belts saved more than 75,000 lives from 2004 and 2008, enough to fill a large sports arena.  Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Please remember to buckle up every time you are in a vehicle.

Click It or Ticket Video

/ By Charity Boughner / Freight Volume/ • • • • / 0 Comments

Rail Traffic Up

Both carload and intermodal volume was up for week ending May 11, 2013 according to the report released by  the AAR on May 16th.  Carload volume was up 0.6 percent and intermodal volume was up 3.9 percent compared to the same week last year.  Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was up 2.1 percent compared to the same week in 2012.

Rail Traffic Chart W19

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/ By Charity Boughner / Freight Volume/ • • • • / 0 Comments

Rail Traffic Up

Both carload and intermodal volume was up for week ending May 11, 2013 according to the report released by  the AAR on May 16th.  Carload volume was up 0.6 percent and intermodal volume was up 3.9 percent compared to the same week last year.  Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was up 2.1 percent compared to the same week in 2012.

Rail Traffic Chart W19

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/ By Charity Boughner / Fuel Pricing/ • • • • • • • • / 0 Comments

Diesel Prices Up

The week in petroleum analysis released by the EIA May 15, 2013 reported that the national average diesel fuel price increased two cents to $3.87 per gallon, 14 cents lower than last year at this time.  Prices in all regions of the nation increased, with the largest increase on the West Coast.  The average price per gallon on the West Coast rose five cents to $3.97 per gallon.  The Midwest price increased four cents to $3.91.  The Rocky Mountain price is $3.97 per gallon, two cents higher than last week. Both the Gulf Coast and East Coast prices increased less then a penny to $3.87 on the East Coast and $3.74 on the Gulf Coast.

/ By Charity Boughner / Fuel Pricing/ • • • • • • • • / 0 Comments

Diesel Prices Up

The week in petroleum analysis released by the EIA May 15, 2013 reported that the national average diesel fuel price increased two cents to $3.87 per gallon, 14 cents lower than last year at this time.  Prices in all regions of the nation increased, with the largest increase on the West Coast.  The average price per gallon on the West Coast rose five cents to $3.97 per gallon.  The Midwest price increased four cents to $3.91.  The Rocky Mountain price is $3.97 per gallon, two cents higher than last week. Both the Gulf Coast and East Coast prices increased less then a penny to $3.87 on the East Coast and $3.74 on the Gulf Coast.

/ By Charity Boughner / Freight Volume/ • • • • • / 0 Comments

Cass Freight Index: April

April Cass Freight Index - ShipmentsAccording to the April edition of the Cass Freight Index from Cass Information Systems, Inc., both North American shipment volume and overall freight expenditures slumped in April after a strong March.  Freight shipment volume dropped 3.5 percent from March to April.  The year-over-year, shipment volume was down 1.3 percent, and 1.2 percent below 2011 figures.

April freight expenditures were down 1.6 percent from March, and April Cass Freight Index - Expendituresbelow last year’s level for the same period by 0.5 percent.  Year-to-date dollars spent is 0.8 percent higher than end of year 2012, but only because of March’s strong increase.  “Despite the ever-tightening truck capacity worsening truck driver shortage, truckload and LTL rates overall have remained as flat as the economy,” stated Rosalyn Wilson, senior business analyst of Delcan Corp.

Source: Cass Freight Index: April 2013 – The Cass Freight Informations Systems

/ By Charity Boughner / Freight Volume/ • • • • • • • • • • / 0 Comments

Rail Traffic Up: May 4

Both carload and intermodal volume traffic were up for week ending May 4, 2013 according to the Weekly Rail Traffic Summary released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR).  Carload volume was up by 2.8 percent for the week compared with the same week last year, and intermodal volume was up 2.8 percent.  Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was also up 2.8 percent from last year. Read More