![[Valid Atom 1.0]](valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")
* USA - TRUCKING COSTS: Per mile, a slight decrease in 2012 from 2011 one
* Virginia - ATRI update says diligence needed in watching industry costs despite economic improvements
Arlington,VA,USA -The Trucker News Services -6 Sept 2013; -- The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released the findings of its 2013 update to An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking. The research, which identifies trucking costs from 2008 through 2012 derived directly from fleets’ financial and operational data, provides carriers with an important high-level benchmarking tool and government agencies with real-world data for future infrastructure improvement analyses... The average marginal cost per mile in 2012 was $1.63, a slight decrease from the $1.71 found in 2011... After the Great Recession and a sharp decline in fuel prices resulted in decreased industry costs between 2008 and 2009, industry costs steadily rose through 2010 and 2011... The slight decrease in average operating costs in 2012 was most likely due to the weak economic recovery and softening freight conditions experienced in the second half of the year... Since its original publication in 2008, the Operational Costs of Trucking reports continue to be one of the most requested ATRI reports among industry stakeholders. In addition to average costs per mile, ATRI’s report documents average costs per hour and includes cost breakouts by industry sector...
* New York - Don’t hold your breath on fleet renewal
New York,NY,USA -CCJ, by Avery Vise -September 10, 2013: -- The automotive industry is going gangbusters as the combination of an improved economy and ancient cars and light trucks is sending consumers into showrooms. In general, the trucking industry also is enjoying an improving economy and living with aging equipment, but heavy truck sales aren’t seeing the same robust growth... Some reasons for the disparity are obvious. A new Class 8 truck costs multiples of a new automobile. And you only need a truck if you have both freight and a driver to fill the seat, neither of which are guarantees these days. Even if you have freight and drivers, is your freight rate high enough to justify the higher cost? ... While business is better today for most operations than it was in 2008-10, a combination of factors conspires to hold back investment... Speaking at the Avondale Partners Trucking Forum held last month in conjunction with the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, Tim Kohl, president of Marten Transport, noted that key factors included higher costs and inadequate return on investment. Owing to a variety of factors – emissions regulations and higher prices for key raw materials such as steel, aluminum and rubber – the cost of trucks and trailers is rising at double-digit rates. But freight rates are rising only 2 to 3 percent. “And somehow everything is going to get better by the end of the year?” Kohl asks. “It’s not.” ... The level of investment needed to renew the truck fleet is staggering, says Werner Enterprises President ,Derek Leathers, who also addressed the forum. Leathers noted that the industry’s average fleet age is now 6.6 years. To bring that down to the long-run average of 5.5 years, he estimates that the industry would have to invest $54 billion over 24 months. Maintenance costs are beginning to force the retirement of aging equipment, but the capital isn’t there to replace it, Leathers says... Carriers of all sizes are caught in the trap created by higher operating costs and the lack of capital to replace trucks and trailers. But smaller trucking companies especially are vulnerable because their access to capital is more constrained. It’s ultimately a life-or-death issue for many carriers...
* New York - Transportation executives are resigned to higher energy costs
New York,NY,USA -Forbes, by Bill Millar -11 Sept 2013: -- They may not like higher energy prices and stricter emission standards. They may feel government policies place too much value on perceived environmental gains and too little on economic growth. Nonetheless, the forecasts and business strategies of carriers and manufacturers of transport-oriented capital goods indicate: the industry is braced for an era of higher energy prices... That’s the core conclusion of our just-released “charticle” (a graphics-focused article) - The energy cost outlook: higher and higher.. Transport executives believed that the global economy is poised for a protracted period of increasing energy costs relative to current levels. Over the next 18 months, 63% believed prices would either increase (39%) or increase significantly (24%). Given West Texas crude prices of US$95 per barrel at the time of the survey – and today’s prices only now retreating to $107 per barrel (from well over $110 per barrel) – their short-term outlook, so far, seems spot on. (Brent crude prices are even higher)... But medium to long term outlooks also foresee continuing pricing pressure. Over the next three years, 78% expect prices to either increase (55%) or increase significantly (23%). Over the next five years, 69% believe prices will either increase (31%) or increase significantly (38%)...
Labels: trucking industry costs
posted by Unknown @ 6:33 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home