Retail sales rose 1.2 percent in October, topping analysts' expectations in a hopeful sign for transportation providers.  Overall retail sales rose 1.2 percent from September, well above the median forecast of 0.7 percent by analysts polled by Bloomberg News. The increase was boosted by a 14.7 percent increase in auto sales.  Sales excluding autos and gasoline increased 0.4 percent, matching the September increase.  Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of total economic activity and is closely watched as a barometer of the overall economy and the transportation sector.  Containerized imports peaked in August and September, earlier than usual, as importers shipped early to avoid the possibility of delays and lost holiday sales. Intermodal rail volumes also have hit annual highs this fall and are close to pre-recession levels.  Although inventories have crept up in recent months, the increase has been gradual and inventories remain tight by historical standards. That means any jump in sales is likely to require restocking that will boost transportation volume.  The National Retail Federation has forecast that retail sales during the November-December holiday selling season will be up 2.3 percent from last year. The International Council of Shopping Centers said its index of sales rose 1.6 percent in October compared to a year ago, the poorest showing since last April.

U.S. railroads have maintained their traffic momentum into November. During the week ending Nov. 6, they originated 288,056 carloads, up 4.9 percent, and 231,078 intermodal loads, up 11.7 percent compared with volumes from the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach recorded strong growth again in October, indicating that the peak-shipping season in the trans-Pacific this year had some staying power.  Containerized imports in Long Beach were up 33.5 percent compared to October 2009. Imports were up 5 percent over September 2010.  Imports in Los Angeles increased 3.19 percent compared to October 2009, which was the strongest month for imports last year. Imports in Los Angeles were down 7 percent from September 2010.

The volume of containers handled by the Port of Savannah in October increased 16.7 percent to 273,296 20-foot equivalent units compared to the same month last year, the Georgia Ports Authority said.  Savannah's Garden City Terminal handled a record 152,469 containers of all sizes in October, up 17.8 percent year-over-year. Record October container volume was driven by increases in loaded import activity, which was up 14.61 percent.  The overall total of freight handled by all Georgia ports reached a new monthly record of 2,347,260 tons, which represented an increase of 9.8 percent compared with last October.

 

There is only a "slim" chance the appellate court handling the Port of Los Angeles clean-truck case will agree with U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder's definition of the port as a market participant, according to a Long Beach attorney.  Cameron Roberts, a transportation attorney, told the Harbor Transportation Club of Southern California the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit took this same case on appeal almost two years ago and indicated at the time that the port's claim to be a market participant and therefore exempt from federal preemption law was weak.  The case of the American Trucking Associations versus the city and Port of Los Angeles has captured the attention of the transportation industry because it has national implications for harbor trucking, trucking deregulation and the independent contractor status of owner-operators.

  

     

11/15/10                               Date Released