Commerce Express Weekly Road Map: March 1st, 2022
Keeping you informed on the latest news/insights in our industry.
Commerce Express Blog
Truckers have been seeking additional parking for quite some time now. With more parking for truckers, comes a more productive, safe and resilient workforce. That’s what the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wants people to realize when it comes to improving parking for truckers.
Trucking Update
- A new bill in Virgina would restrict truckers, specifically commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) from driving anywhere but the right hand lane during winter storms when reasonably possible and when conditions safely permit to do so. The bill, which was introduced near the end of January, and has passed in the state Senate less than a month later, could be set into law by July 1st, if it is passed in the House of Delegates and the Governor signs it Freightwaves reported. This new potential restriction for truckers comes after a terrible snowstorm occurred in early January, which left many drivers stranded on Interstate 95 for a significant amount of time. Officials aren’t placing blame on truckers regarding this bill, this is more for educational purposes and to let the public know that lawmakers are aware.
- U.S. Southeast ports reached an agreement to launch a reconstructed chassis pool in October 2023, called the South Atlantic Chassis Pool 3.0, reported the Journal of Commerce. This agreement will be designed to replace old and unreliable chassis with newer or refurbished units, which will help improve the dependability for cargo owners, as well as creating a sufficient supply of equipment in the Southeast. This agreement covers the ports of Jacksonville, Savannah, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
- Heavy rain and flooding is expected in the Pacific Northwest beginning this week, lasting for a few days. A category 4 out of 5 atmospheric river – as defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as a long and narrow region in the atmosphere, that transports most of the water vapors outside of the tropics – is expected for those regions. Western Washington and western Oregon are the main regions expected to get hit, with parts of British Columbia being impacted as well. Freightwaves reports that rain totals through Wednesday could get up to 6 inches along Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101, as well as the Trans-Canada Highway. Things to potentially expect in these areas are flooding of rivers, creeks, and streams which could cause mudslides/landslides and thus the closure of some roads.
- Major lanes of concern, according to Freightwaves
- Interstate 5 from Medford, Oregon, to Seattle
- U.S. Highway 101 from Olympia, Washington, to the Washington – Oregon border
- Interstate 90 from Seattle to Butte, Montana
- Interstate 84 from Portland to Baker City, Oregon
- Trans-Canada Highway from Vancouver to Hope, British Columbia
- Major lanes of concern, according to Freightwaves
Industry FAQ's
What is it like as a truck driver in Hawaii?
Being a truck driver in Hawaii is not the paradise as some may suggest. From dealing with a lack of loading docks, to difficult road construction and narrow roads, the trucking industry in Hawaii has many windy roads.
What are some benefits of Intermodal shipping?
There are many benefits of Intermodal shipping, here are some to consider: more capacity, more eco-friendly way to transport goods than trucking, more competitive pricing compared to trucking, more predictable transit and delivery schedule.
Contact us to learn more if Intermodal is the right form of shipping for you.
Rail Update
- For the week ending February 19th, U.S. rail traffic came in at 497,822 carloads and intermodal units, which is up 31.7% from the same week in 2021, reported the Association of American Railroads. So far in 2022, U.S. railroads have reported cumulative volume of 1,594,264 carloads (up 3.6% from last year), and 1,769,900 intermodal units (down 7.7% from last year), the AAR reported.
- Canadian railroads reported 74,320 carloads for the week, which is up 9%. As well as 64,704 intermodal units, up 1.3% compared to the same week last year.
- Mexican railroads reported 21,419 carloads for the week, up 19%. As well as 16,246 intermodal units, down 0.5% compared to the same week last year.
- Union Pacific plans to impose surcharges, up to $4,000, per container on some customers beginning March 13 – though it is unclear what is encouraging this far higher surcharge this March, the Journal of Commerce reported. In Los Angeles, small shippers (having aggregated rates) are subject to pay a surcharge of $4,000 per container throughout their weekly allocation of loads. While large shippers (Beneficial Cargo Owner’s), are subject to pay a $3,000 per container charge. In Lathrop-Oakland, small shippers will pay $3,000 and large shippers will pay $2,000 per container, the JOC reports. Please be advised that this surcharge only applies AFTER a shipper goes beyond its weekly cap. For example, if a shipper has a contract to send 30 containers per week, the surcharge is only imposed on anything above that number.
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