LOGISTICS & ECONOMY

[Ladypowerdriver]

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Deadly Storms Leave Transport Struggling

Alabama and other states nearby are trying to clear away debris that hampers transportation systems and to restore power to businesses and homes, following a devastating tornado outbreak this week that left more than 300 people dead.

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Japan Disaster Hits Caterpillar Global Output

Caterpillar, a major global manufacturer of industrial, agricultural and transportation equipment including for trucking and rail markets, said it is "experiencing sporadic production disruptions at many of our facilities around the world," because many of its suppliers in Japan were affected by the earthquake and tsunami there.

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Jeddah-Bound Dryers Leave Antwerp

Two 84-tonne dryers barely made it aboard an NYK vessel bound for Jeddah from France after permitting and transport delays consumed planned safety buffers.

And Etc.

[Ladypowerdriver]

May 3, 2011 3:38PM GMT

The Journal of Commerce

Broad increases in orders, rising prices for food, oil drive growth

U.S. factory orders rose for the fifth consecutive month in March, driven by a broad-based increase in orders and rising prices for food and oil, the Commerce Department said.

The 3 percent increase in orders for manufactured goods continued a trend that has contributed to rising freight volumes. March represented the 16th consecutive monthly increase in intermodal volume, up 8.5 percent year-to-year, and the 13th straight increase for carload shipments, which rose 3.4 percent, the Association of American Railroads reported last week.

By The Numbers:

U.S. Rail Cargo

Inventories of manufactured goods rose 1.1 percent and have increased for 14 of the last 15 months, the Commerce Department said. The inventories-to-shipments ratio narrowed to 1.24 from 1.26.

Rising commodity prices contributed to a 3.1 percent increase in non-durable manufactured goods, which include food and oil. Orders for durable goods, which are intended to last more than three years, rose 2.9 percent, an increase from the previous estimate of 2.5 percent.

Factory shipments rose 2.7 percent. Unfilled orders, a sign of future demand, rose 0.8 percent. Inventories climbed 1.1 percent.

Orders for goods made in the transportation sector climbed 6.2 percent. Excluding transportation, factory orders rose 2.6 percent, after rising 0.6 percent during February. Orders rose for machinery, computers, electrical equipment, and some metals.

Capital goods orders rose 4 percent in March. Defense capital-goods orders increased 7.6 percent. Demand for all non-defense capital goods climbed 3.6 percent. Excluding defense orders, overall factory orders rose 3 percent in March, after rising 1.3 percent in February