Does it? If you read the report, intermodal had the lowest loss. And traffic overall is still up compared to 2024.
Coal had the biggest loss.
On the OTR side container traffic was up in August by 8 percent from 2024. Rates are slowly heading up. Flatbed traffic which is a key indicator of health in the economy is that as new raw materials and machine tools start to get moved to factories that’s saw a slight increase in volume. Reefer rates and volume remained high as people still need to eat. Dry van saw a tick in rate increase and volume also as well as machine tools can also be moved in them. Capacity tightened due to the English requirements being enfored with a loss of 15k drivers. September is going to be interesting with almost 200k drivers removed from service.
On the logistics side of the economy it’s not 100 percent bad news but the patients are still sick and need continued care to get better.
Intermodal was down 1.4 % week 36 this year over the supposedly “weak” 2024.
Looks like they’re getting realistic about the value of coal fired power plants what with the onset of data center electricity use and spiking prices. Renewed coal traffic for railways one would think.
Year to date figures are a better indicator of trends than weekly numbers. The best numbers are year over year, which reflect annual peeks and valleys that can distort weekly, monthly, or even quarterly results.
The 5.1% increased in coal shipments YTD may indicate a ramp up in coal fired electric generation, or it may mean an increase coal shipments for export. Or some combination thereof.
My former employer, which was the largest investor-owned electric utility in Texas, if not North America, when I retired in 2005, has shutdown approximately 85 percent of its coal fired steam electric stations.
At the peak we had five lignite coal fired power plants. Today it has one. The plants burned lignite coal mixed with western coal. The lignite coal was mined near the power plants; the western coal was shipped in by rail. The western coal was from the Powder River Basin. It cost more to ship the coal than mine it.
Ref …U.S. Rail Traffic / Freight Waves HB2 cites on the beginning of this thread
Looking at the chart mentioned shows interesting data.
On the left is, THIS week among all the 13 categories there were 10 red % = drop.
Then on the right side was Last year compared to this Year To Date data….3 red and of 13 there were 10 green % = gain???
What am I missing here? The situation is dire? Why so much “green” in a measure of “compared to last year” mike mrw1002252129
Tariffs are starting to have an impact on what’s getting moved by everyone right now. But the reality isn’t all doom and gloom that they’re trying to make it. Companies are investing massive amounts of money into the USA right now. Companies that wanted to expand but couldn’t justify the tax implications for new equipment just got the tax breaks they needed August 1st. 2 compaines near me just announced they’re buying 30 million dollars in new CNC equipment for their shops. One makes semi dump trailers the other is the largest sewer vacuum for company. That’s a huge investment in 5 axis machines. The trailer company wants theirs so they can make their own hydraulic cylinders and other specific components needed. The sewer vacuum company needs them for multiple things valves hydraulic pump bodies hydraulic valves.
And the US consumer will pay.
Haas as far as I know makes his CNC machines here in the USA. Kohler makes their generator sets hete in the USA. Generac also. Caterpillar builds most of their stuff here in the USA. We have the factories the problem is companies would rather move the production offshore to save labor costs or other costs.
As long as the tariff money is applied toward the debt/deficit. It is going to the Treasury. One hopes the spendthrift party’s over. Now the hangover.
So now we are cheering the addition of a tax?
Strange timeline we live in.
Can you ever talk about something other than politics? Or would that be too difficult?
The topic was rail freight being down, partly because of tariffs.
This is the real world. The model rr forums are more feel good, and may be your cup of tea?
Subaru is going to shift production of the Outback (currently made in Indiana) to one of their Japan plants. In its place they are bringing production of the Forester to Indiana from Japan. Forester outsells the Outback so this is done to help with tariffs.
Although I sure there’s some that buy the forester primarily because of the J-vin, so I’m curious if forester will hold onto that crown. See: Mazda cx50 vs cx5.
Either way, no new plants built here, but no loss either.
So which old user is this with a new name?
I don’t get what you mean.
Brand new and whining about the rules? Cmon..