Shipments

April’s shipment reading, at 1.098, decreased 4.0% annually, and expenditures, at 3.227, were off 16.8% annually.

The report’s first quarter shipment index value, at 87.5, was off 7.8% compared to the fourth quarter and down 21.6% annually.On the spend side, the report observed that the first quarter reading, at 194.7, fell 27.9% annually and was down 16.8%, from the third fourth quarter to the first quarter.

March imports, at 2.489 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), posted a 16% annual gain, and first quarter imports, at 7.537 million TEU, rose 15% annually, amid various supply chain disruptions.

The company said that this business unit now has more than $200 million euro ($218.2 million USD) in freight under management and is on track for $2 billion ($2.18 billion USD) by 2028.

February’s shipment reading, at 1.115, saw a 4.5% annual decrease, and February expenditures, at 3.225, were down 19.8% annually.

Company officials said that this new facility is a full-service operation where the company processes shipments and directly serves customers at its new retail ServicePoint counter. And they added that the $7.3 million facility also increases shipment capacity and also enables faster processing, which results in faster pickup cutoff times for Eastern Virginia-based shippers.

January’s shipment reading, at 1.039, fell 7.6% annually, and January expenditures, at 3.102, fell 24.3% annually.

The report’s fourth quarter shipment index value, at 95.0, was down 10.9% compared to the third quarter and down 15.7% annually. On the spend side, the report observed that the fourth quarter reading, at 233.9, fell 13.5% annually and was down 1.4%, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter.

The survey’s findings were based on feedback from more than 1,400 North American shippers across various sectors and was conducted late last year. Topics covered in the survey included measuring the use of and interest in various supply chain services compared to last year’s survey, if businesses are predicting an increase or decrease in shipments in 2024, how important a carrier’s sustainability program is to a shippers’ decision making, and identifying the biggest challenge with international shipments in 2024.

December’s shipment reading, at 1.077, was down 7.2% annually, and December expenditures, at 3.230, were off 23.7% annually.

November’s shipment reading, at 1.094, was down 8.9% annually, less steep than October’s 9.5% annual decrease, and November expenditures, at 3.331, were off 25.6% annually, topping October’s 23.3% annual decline, while falling 1.3%, from October to November.

October imports, at 2.64 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), increased 5% annually, following a 1% annual gain in September. On a year-to-date basis through October, imports are down 11.5%, to 24.02 million TEU.  

October’s shipment reading, at 1.108, was down 9.5% annually, and October expenditures, at 3.375, fell 23.3% annually

The report’s third quarter shipment index value, at 106.6, was down 3.4% compared to the second quarter and was down 9.7% annually, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of annual shipment declines. On the spend side, the report observed that the third quarter reading, at 106.6, fell 9.7% annually and was down 3.4%, from the second quarter to the third quarter.

September’s shipment reading, at 1.163, fell 6.3% annually, and September expenditures, at 3.452, were off 25.4%.