Commerce Express Weekly Road Map:
January 2nd, 2024
Keeping you informed on the latest news/insights in our industry.
Happy New Year From Commerce Express!
Trucking –
- As of December 25th, the national average price of diesel is $3.914.
- Seeing a slight increase (of two cents) compared to the week prior.
- Class 8 sales drop in November, for the fourth straight month.
- Port of Los Angeles plans to add a near-dock chassis facility and container storage yard
- The facility will be used for storing, maintaining and repairing chassis. Plus, a temporary storage yard for empty containers.
Rail –
- Customs Border Protection reopened the three international border bridges at Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas on Friday, December 22nd.
- This reopening has allowed freight rail operations to continue passing through those checkpoints.
- Union Pacific is expanding their on-dock rail service at Port Houston – including access to four more inland markets.
Cross-Border –
Mexico:
- Mexico exports are expected to ‘boost’ cross-border freight volumes this year.
- Mexico has been the top U.S. trading partner from early 2023, reporting $656 billion in two-way trade, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
CARB Extends Clean Truck Check Registration Deadline to January 31st
The deadline for trucks to be registered for the California Clean Truck Check was moved to January 31st. It was originally scheduled for January 1st.
Trucks must be signed up with a state registry for Clean Truck Check by January 31st, as well as a payment of a $30 fee. As Freightwaves reports, this rule applies to all trucks operating in the state, not just trucks based in California.
The California Air Resources Board will also be holding another webinar about the Clean Truck rule on January 9th for those that are interesting in more information.
Fines for Violating FMCSA Regulations in 2024 Slightly Increase
Late last month, the Department of Transportation announced increases of fines for a variety of agencies, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
This is not unusual, because under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, agencies have to adjust their civil monetary penalties for inflation every year, per the Federal Register.
Some of the other agencies that also increased their 2024 fines are the Maritime Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
These new fine amounts are effective as of December 28th, 2023. You can view the increase of fine amounts, here.
Commerce Blog
As the sun set on the year before, 2023 arrived as an unnerving crossroads, a “make or break” year for freight rail. However, in reality, as this year draws to an end, the industry hasn’t yielded a definitive answer to this. Its future trajectory remains obscured.
2023 was achingly ambiguous for freight rail. There were some positives, but also a glaring negative.
CPKC Holiday Train This Year Raises Over $1.8M
This year was the 25th anniversary of the Holiday Train, which ended up raising over $1.8 Canadian dollars (around 1.36 million USD).
“Once again, people in big cities and small towns across the CPKC network came together to celebrate the season and support their local communities,” said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel, who also thanked the hundred of thousands of those who took part in viewing the Holiday Train the last month.
The Holiday Train, which ran from November 21st – December 19th, also collected over 160,000 pounds of food for local food banks and food programs throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Total Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending December 23rd, 2023:
- Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 486,787 carloads and intermodal units – up 24.2 percent compared to last year, per AAR data.
- U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 255,841 containers and trailers – up 24.7 percent.
- Coal, motor vehicles and parts, and grain all saw increases compared to last year.
- For the first 51 weeks of this year, rail volume in North America was 33,580,237 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.2 percent compared to last year.
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