NEWS IN BRIEF, Continued from page 13
However, Bob Costello, chief econ-
omist and vice president for American Trucking Associations, cautioned against viewing this news too positively pointing out the revision was due to higher inventories built up by busi- nesses. “These higher inventories aren’t
good because shippers will work off any excess inventories before ordering more products,” Costello said. “And that hurts truck-freight volumes. It is likely one of the reasons why October freight was off, once adjusted for typical sea- sonality.” Costello said inventories did not
pile up “on purpose,” but said the situa- tion was “most likely caused by weaker sales than expected. I suspect the draw- down has already started as October truck freight was weaker than antici- pated (seasonally adjusted).”
RAILROADS SEE BETTER NUMBERS, TOO U.S. carloads in November rose
1.3 percent to 1,145,353 units and intermodal loads climbed 7.8 percent to 1,007,549 units compared with November 2012 data, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The weekly average of 251,887
intermodal loads was the highest for any November in history, AAR said. Eleven of 20 commodity categories reg- istered gains in November, led by grain (20.6 percent), petroleum and petro- leum products (20 percent) and motor vehicle and parts (10.8 percent), while metallic ores volume fell 10.1 percent and coal traffic dipped 4.3 percent. Excluding coal, U.S. carloads increased 5.3 percent. “Carload traffic continues to be
consistent with an economy that’s growing at a moderate pace,” said AAR Senior Vice President John Gray.
IT’S A BRAZILIAN…HAIR DRUG TESTING, THAT IS As the U.S. Congress prepares to
consider hair testing as an acceptable method to test commercial truck driver applicants, Brazil has announced new guidelines that mandate professional drivers to pass a hair drug test when obtaining or renewing their driver’s license. Currently, Brazilian professional driver licenses are valid for five years and must be renewed. This guideline became effective January 1, 2014, with the first testing to begin July 1, 2014. Hair testing for drugs of abuse is
able to detect whether someone has used drugs over an approximate 90-day period; as compared to a significantly shorter time frame in urine and saliva drug testing—a day or two for most drugs with a little longer period for marijuana. Because of this wider win- dow of detection, a hair test provides superior detection rate and with that, a powerful up-front deterrent.
more numberS are the laSt thingS a trucking company needS to worry about.
Speed limitS. weight limitS. fuel coStS.
More than 40 southeastern trucking and logistics companies rely on Bell & Company for expert accounting and financial advice. After all, we have unique firsthand trucking experience, and we’re dedicated to helping you grow your profits. How can we put our 150 years of combined experience to work for you? Call us today for a free consultation.
bellandcompany.net / 501.753.9700 14 ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 6 2013
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