Container Volume Boosts Point to Higher Trucking Activity Ahead

A quick look at ocean container volumes – imports and exports – suggests strong demand for trucking ahead.

According to the latest research, imports of ocean containers soared 32.0 percent in December, and exports of ocean containers increased 19.8 percent.

This follows the decline of both indexes in November. Driving the trends, in part, is a recovering economy coupled with a strengthening U.S, dollar.

Noted Cass Information Services, which issued the finding, “The 32 percent rise in container imports didn’t quite make up the declines in October and November. However, the Index value was the second highest on record.”

Ocean container exports jumped 19.8 percent in December, the biggest rise in 2014. Not surprisingly, given the weakening in certain European countries, December 2014 exports are 6.9 percent lower than the same month in 2013. In addition, the ocean container export index ended the year 9.5 percent lower than where it started.

Category: Featured, General Update