Harbingers of spring include the arrival of the swallows and the departure of the Sandhill cranes. The article below, about idle railcars, forgot to mention another harbinger of this spring viewed Friday while waiting for a frieght train to pass through town: a man, riding a flatcar between rolls of steel.
Bill Hatch
3-30-08
Modesto Bee
Weak economy slows cargo, idles railcars...SUSAN GALLAGHER , Associated Press Writer...3-28-08
http://www.modbee.com/business/story/253184.html
CRAIG, Mont. — BNSF Railway Co., the nation's top hauler of container rail freight, is parking miles of railcars in Montana and elsewhere because there isn't enough freight to keep them rolling...
The cars parked are the type that haul cargo from ships on the coast to points inland, mainly imported goods - an area that's starting to slow down due to the weak economy. Analysts say transportation usually is among the first sectors to show signs of a downturn in the economy and with Americans feeling pinched - employers eliminated 63,000 jobs last month amid declining consumer confidence - it could be a while before the idle cars move.
"If you take a look at transportation, both trucking and rail, you will see that things started softening last summer," said Arnold Maltz, associate professor of supply-chain management at Arizona State University. "The reason you are seeing all those cars parked is that the consumer economy translates into slower imports."...
Union Pacific Railroad spokesman James Barnes said the Nebraska-based company's intermodal business is "just a little down, but that's not unusual for this time of year." ...
One of the nation's leading trucking companies, Schneider National in Green Bay, Wis., says it believes a freight recession began about 20 months ago, well before signs of a downturn closed in on consumers...
Trucking companies are in a unique position. They often compete with railroads for long haul contracts, while also carrying rail freight from the nearest railhead to its final destination...
In Long Beach, Calif., home of the nation's busiest port complex with Los Angeles, the movement of goods has been somewhat stagnant...
While retailers have imported less goods to be hauled by rail or truck nationwide, exports leaving Long Beach rose as the weak dollar strengthened overseas purchases of U.S. goods, Pope said. Rising export volume - including grain and wheat shipped by rail - helped balance falling container imports for most of last year...