NEWS\\\


Freight railroad revenues to bounce back in 2021, expand 4.7% annually to 2025


US rail freight revenues are forecast to advance 4.7% per year in nominal terms through 2025,


according to Freight


by Rail: United States, report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Continuing expansion in manufacturers’ shipments and growth in US


trade activity will drive demand for rail freight transportation. In addition, output of


chemicals and allied products, one of the most profitable railroad cargos and a leading product shipped by rail, is projected to rise 1.0% annually in real terms to 2025.


Production of motor vehicles in volume terms, another high- profit cargo item for rail carriers, is projected to increase 4.7% to 2025. However, faster gains will be prevented by falling volumes of coal handled, which will decline 1.7% through 2025. US revenues for rail


transportation support


activities are forecast rise 5.9% per year to 2025. Ongoing gains in rail freight activity will boost demand for support services. Furthermore, regulations will continue to drive outsourcing to support providers, such as those ensuring PTC compliance.


with customers who have determined that Georgia is the best state in the country to do business.” Since November, the Georgia


At the Georgia Foreign Trade Conference (GFTC) held in late April, the Georgia Ports Authority released fiscal year to date numbers (July -March) showing


record volumes of


3.9 million TEUs, an increase of 15%, and detailed a plan that expedites completion of more than 1.4 million additional TEUs of annual capacity. Expansion efforts include the


Peak Capacity project, which will add 650,000 TEUs of annual container yard capacity in two phases at Garden City Terminal, with the first phase opening in five months. Another main component of the expansion plan is the


development of 92 acres GPA purchased last year adjacent to the Mason Mega Rail Terminal. Housing approximately 40 rubber-tired gantry cranes and adding 750,000 TEUs of annual capacity, the development will be commissioned within two years.


“I am proud of how our


team has not only handled unprecedented cargo volume, but simultaneously advanced long-term capacity enhancements that existed only on paper into fully-funded projects that will begin coming online this September,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. In addition to these projects,


Lynch detailed a plan to add a transloading facility on a 90- acre parcel just upriver from Garden City Terminal. He said a cross-docking warehouse will be completed in 15 months, served by a yard with nine RTG cranes and an annual capacity of 400,000 TEUs. The new expansion will also improve availability


of chassis and


empty containers at Garden City Terminal. “The long-term success of


the port is tied to staying ahead of the growth curve,” said GPA Board Chairman Will McKnight. “Once again, the team has risen to the occasion and developed an excellent plan to keep pace


Ports Authority Board has approved $305 million in projects to increase Savannah’s annual TEU capacity from 5.4 million to 6.8 million. GPA has also started


construction to straighten a bend at Berth 1 of Garden City Terminal, to allow the Port of Savannah to simultaneously serve four 16,000-TEU vessels, as well as three additional ships. Berth 1 renovations will add an estimated 1 million TEUs per year of berth capacity by June 2023. Long-term plans call for a new


GPA terminal on Hutchinson Island. At full build-out, Savannah Container Terminal will provide 2.7 million TEUs of capacity.


Issue 5 2021 - FBJNA News Roundup


American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.3% in April after increasing 2.3% in March. In April, the index equaled 114.7 (2015=100) compared with 115.1 in March.


Road & Rail


Overhaul, an intelligence-driven, real-time supply chain visibility tech provider, announced the launch of an industry- first, risk-management technology solution for North American motor carriers. Quickly implemented, it’s a low-cost solution that uses existing motor-carrier fleet hardware to identify dangerous or illegal driving practices in real time and implement corrective actions to avoid costly situations that can develop due to motor accidents.


IntermodaLogistics, announced a strategic partnership with Kinimatic to significantly extend its warehousing and transload capabilities nationwide. With this collaboration, RoadOne’s shipper customers will have access to Kinimatic’s comprehensive national network of storage and fulfillment services to address the need for expedited local delivery. The increase in online shopping requires that goods are positioned in local markets closer to consumers for delivery the next day or the day that the order was placed.


The American Trucking Associations and ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council congratulated the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for the progress the agency has made in its Tech-Celerate Now technology analysis and education program over the past year. FMCSA developed the Tech-Celerate Now program to help reduce fatalities, injuries and crashes through expanded use of ADAS. The FMCSA program is analyzing industry awareness and perceptions of ADAS, with the goal of increasing its voluntary adoption among fleets and owner-operators.


The American Trucking Associations’ Board of Directors has voted to renew the contract for association president and CEO Chris Spear for an additional five-year term. Since becoming president/ CEO in 2016, Spear has achieved a record of success in advocating on behalf of the industry, both in the legislative and regulatory arena, and has dramatically increased the visibility of the organization. Spear has been a vocal advocate on Capitol Hill and in the media on the industry’s top issues, including infrastructure, lawsuit abuse and highway safety.


South Carolina Ports is expanding Inland Port Greer on the heels of sustained record activity at the rail-served inland port in Upstate South Carolina. Inland Port Greer extends


the Port of Charleston’s reach 212 miles inland via Norfolk Southern rail service, enabling companies throughout the Southeast


and Midwest to


quickly receive import goods and move export products to overseas markets. Inland Port Greer 24/7


operates and offers


a direct rail connection to the Port of Charleston. Situated along


Interstate 85


between Greenville, S.C., and Spartanburg SC, Inland Port Greer


reaches 94 million


consumers within 500 miles, or a one-day truck trip. The expansion of


Inland Port Greer is supported, in part, by a $25 million BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant. In 2018, the U.S.


Department of Transportation awarded the BUILD grant to the SC Department of Transportation to help fund the Upstate Express Corridor Program, which includes both the expansion of SC Ports’ Inland Port Greer and the


lengthening of Norfolk


Southern’s Greer Lead Track and Carlisle Siding Track. The expansion of Greer


Inland Port involves building additional rail


processing and storage tracks within the terminal, expanding the container yard to the east and west, enlarging the existing chassis yard, and building new facilities for heavy liſt maintenance and terminal operations. More than half of SC Ports’


$63.4 billion annual economic impact in South Carolina already occurs in the Upstate. Investing to expand Inland Port Greer will drive more port- related growth in the region. The additional capacity means more companies will locate near this critical infrastructure hub, driving jobs and economic growth for the Upstate. “This funding supports expansion


the of Inland


Port Greer, which has been a true success story for South Carolina, growing significantly every year since opening,” SC Ports CEO Jim Newsome said. “We continue to invest in port


infrastructure to handle


more cargo for companies. Our strategic investments provide more capacity and efficiency, which attracts more companies to invest in our state.” The BUILD grant also the


supports expansion of


Norfolk Southern’s Upstate rail network. These improvements include lengthening the lead track alongside the mainline track outside of Inland Port Greer in Greer, SC, as well as providing add i t ion a l


6 >>


Sens. Maria Cantwell and Roy Blunt introduced on April 29 bipartisan legislation to create a $500 million competitive grant program that would support the elimination of certain highway-rail grade crossings. The grant program aims to improve the health and safety of communities – particularly underserved communities – impacted by freight operations.


The Association of American Railroads (AAR), Railinc and a coalition of agricultural shippers announced a new partnership to give shippers greater visibility into the recent commodities carried by hopper cars. This new resource will provide shippers with essential information to maintain the highest


cross-contact with food allergens.


Werner Enterprises announces the integration of Navistar International® 360 (I360), providing significant benefits to Werner professional drivers, including time savings and improved repair velocity. On the heels of the company’s first anniversary of Werner EDGE, the new integration is another step in the company’s innovation strategy and is a cloud- based technology enhancement that delivers seamless, transparent communications with the International® service network.


5


food safety standards and help prevent potential


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