The February 2023 reading of the for-hire trucking ton-mile seasonally adjusted index produced by Yemisi Bolumole and Jason Miller at Michigan State University (MSU) saw demand flat compared to January 2023 and down 1% y/y. The ton-mileage index is derived from the physical quantity output for 41 freight-producing industry sectors. According to Professor Miller, “Demand…
The unofficial start date for the 2023 produce season has been announced for truckload carriers, and it’s April 19th when the much-awaited Vidalia Onion begins shipping. Around the same time, the Florida produce season is almost halfway through, followed by the start of the peach season in Georgia and South Carolina. This creates a chain…
The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) increased 3.3 points in March to 61.3, it remains only slightly above its all-time low set late last year. The HPSI indicates future flatbed demand for truckload carriers based on a monthly survey of 1,000 consumers who make household financial decisions. Survey questions ask consumers whether they…
The Georgia peach season has suffered a setback this year. After a warmer winter followed by several days of freezing temperatures in March, Georgia peach farmers “fear a brutal, one-two punch may have wiped out much of their crop.” At the start of March, Georgia’s oldest operating peach packinghouse Dickey’s Farms, reported peach trees were…