Source: American Trucking Associations
American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index slipped 2.5% in April, following a 1.1% decline during March. (March’s percentage decrease was slightly more than reported in our press release on April 18, 2017.) In April, the index equaled 134 (2000=100), down from 137.4 in March. The all-time high was 142.7 in February 2016.
“The recent trend in the U.S. LEI, led by the positive outlook of consumers and financial markets, continues to point to a growing economy, perhaps even a cyclical pickup,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Director of Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board. “First quarter’s weak GDP growth is likely a temporary hiccup as the economy returns to its long-term trend of about 2 percent. While the majority of leading indicators have been contributing positively in recent months, housing permits followed by average workweek in manufacturing have been the sources of weakness among the U.S. LEI components.” – The Conference Board
Overland Park, KS, May 22, 2017 — MIQ Logistics is excited to announce being selected as Mahindra USA’s 2017 Partner of the Year for transportation. This award is a culmination of an almost 20 year partnership between Mahindra and MIQ Logistics. MIQ received the award during the 6th annual Mahindra’s Partners Meeting in Galveston, TX.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Sales The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for March, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,361.0 billion, virtually unchanged (±0.1 percent)* from February 2017, but was up 6.5 percent (±0.4 percent) from March 2016.
Overland Park, KS, May 15, 2017 – Transport Topics has selected MIQ Logistics as a 2017 Top Freight Brokerage Company, Top Airfreight Forwarder, and Top Ocean Freight Forwarder. This is the third year that MIQ Logistics has been nominated and selected for these awards.
Source: National Retail Federation
Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports should see steady increases through the summer and into the fall, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 211,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.4 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, health care and social assistance, financial activities, and mining.
We may soon learn whether the President has the legal authority to impose tariffs on imports without Congressional approval or whether the administration will bypass WTO rules and impose new barriers to imports. The first test may come as the result of an April 20th Presidential Memorandum directing Commerce to initiate an investigation under Section 232(b) of Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to determine the impact of steel imports on national security.
In early April, the only elementary school in Goodman, Missouri was destroyed by a tornado. Brian Duckworth, Logistics Manager at MIQ Washington D.C., found out about this disaster from his wife. She works for Frederick County Public Schools in Winchester, VA that is the part of the Bright Futures program, an organization that connects schools and communities across the USA, and Goodman Elementary school is part the program as well.
Source: Institute for Supply Management
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in April, and the overall economy grew for the 95th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.
