American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 1.3% in November after rising 0.4% in October. In November, the index equaled 114.5 (2015=100) compared with 113 in October. “November’s gain was the fourth straight, totaling 4.3%, and the tonnage level was the highest since April,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The recent streak is very good, but it should be noted that from April through July the index fell a total of 4.6%, so we are not quite back to where we were last spring. "With that said, the index saw the largest gain from a year earlier since May. In November, strong factory output and housing starts helped push the index higher," he said.

The proposed coast-to-coast merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern is bad for the industry, a rival CEO warned, and would give the transcontinental behemoth a dominant 50% share of all U.S. rail freight. “We’ve had lots of opportunities to be very clear that we’re opposed to this merger, and we don’t think it’s good for the industry,” said Katie Farmer, chief executive of BNSF Railway. “Make no mistake, this is a consolidation of almost 50% of all the rail volume…to one road. When you consolidate 50% of all rail volume that moves under one carrier, you eliminate, or significantly reduce, flexibility for customers, optionality, and ultimately there’s going to be fewer interchange points. You have one railroad that is looking to optimize their network, and based on what’s happened in the past, that is not always good for customers.”

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.416; Month Ago: $3.279; Year Ago: $2.126. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $3.644; Month Ago: $3.480; Year Ago: $2.377.