Fuel

For February, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI reading came in at -1.4, below January’s 3.4, which was 3% below December’s 6.4 reading and also below November’s 6.3.

For February, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI reading came in a -5.31, down from January’s -1.41, which was ahead of December’s -4.3.

With a 6.5-cent increase, the national average came in at $4.061 per gallon. This follows a 3.8-cent decline, to $3.996, for the week of April 1, and a slight 0.006-cent increase, to $4.034, for the week of March 25, and a 2.4-cent increase, to $4.028, for the week of March 18.

The weekly national average, at $4.028, increased 2.4 cents, following a 1.8-cent decline, to $4.004, for the week of March 11.

The new edition of the Trucking Conditions Index (TCI), which was recently issued by freight transportation consultancy FTR, saw some signs of improvement but again remaining short of growth.

The TCI reading, at -8.97, was an improvement compared to August’s -12.54 reading (its lowest reading going back to November 2022).

Logistics Management (LM) Group News Editor Jeff Berman recently spoke with Matt Muenster, Chief Economist for Green Bay, Wisc.-based Breakthrough, an innovator in transportation management, dedicated to creating transparent and fair strategies for the world’s leading shippers. Muenster provided Berman with an overview of the impact of the recently-issued third quarter GDP estimate and its impact on logistics and supply chain strategies.

The national average price per gallon headed up 10.1 cents, to $4.545 per gallon, marking the highest increase since a 13.9-cent increase, to $4.378, for the week of August 14.

The van TVI was down 7.0% compared to June, to 226, and down 3.0% annually, the flatbed TVI decreased 12.8% compared to June, to 238, and was up 3.5% annually, and the reefer TVI was down 3.4% compared to June, to 169 and up 1.2% annually (DAT said that even with each TVI reading declining, the reefer and TVI numbers marked the highest on record for July.

Survey of transportation leaders finds most expect plenty of freight capacity.

For December, the most recent month for which data is available, the SCI came in at 10.32, up from November’s 3.0 reading, which was preceded by -3.1 and -0.3 readings in September and October, respectively. December represented the highest SCI reading going back to May 2020.

The new edition of the Cowen/AFS Freight Index, which was recently released by New York-based investment firm Cowen Inc. and Shreveport, La.-based 3PL and freight audit and payment company AFS Logistics LLC, highlighted how rising fuel prices are having a significant impact on both parcel and LTL (Less-than-Truckload) rates, whereas things are somewhat lessening on the truckload side.

A shift to goods consumption has wreaked havoc on supply chains and contributed to goods price inflation.

Ultimately, maximizing efficiency is the overall goal and prioritizing key factors can set operations up for success.

The December SCI, which is the most recent month for which data is available, came in a -10.9, with the firm observing that the fourth quarter of 2020 presented the most difficult market conditions for shippers going back to early 2018. And FTR added that while freight volumes are still solid, fuel prices are seeing steady gains.