Although the Institute of Supply Management’s (ISM) Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) increased by 1.4% month-over-month (m/m) in September, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted for the eleventh consecutive month. Last month’s PMI reading came in at 49%, with a manufacturing reading above 48.7% over an extended period, generally indicating an expansion of the overall…
DAT iQ recently spoke to lumber and housing expert Dustin Jalbert from Fastmarkets to better understand flatbed demand, particularly in the single-family construction market. Dean Croke (DC): Residential construction numbers for August were just released this morning by the U.S. Census Bureau. Are you surprised by the 4% decrease in single-family housing statistics? Dustin Jalbert…
For flatbed and specialized carriers, construction spending reveals how much the government and private companies spend on projects, from housing to highways. The more the U.S. spends on construction, the higher the level of economic activity. According to the Commerce Department, spending on construction projects increased 0.5% in August to $1.98 trillion, falling short of…
It’s sweet potato season, meaning reefer capacity could tighten in North Carolina, the leading producer in the United States, accounting for 76% of annual tonnage. For the last eight weeks, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also reported a slight shortage of trucks in Delaware, Maryland, and the eastern Virginia region, one of…