Trucking Jobs might be on the demand

Port Tracker indicated that U.S. ports handled 1.32 million TEU in June, which is the latest month for which information is obtainable, for a 4 percent gain from May & a 30 percent year-over-year gain. This marks the eighth straight month to show a year-over-year improvement after December 2009 snapped a 28-month streak of declining volumes through November 2009.




This year began with sequential gains in December & January, followed by a decline in February. March volumes — came in at 1.07 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), which was up 7 percent from February’s 1.01 million TEU & 12 percent year-over-year. April volumes at 1.15 million TEU—were up 7 percent from March & 16 percent year-over-year. & May hit 1.25 million TEU followed by June’s 1.32 million TEU.



The ports surveyed in the document include: Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle, New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, & Savannah.





The report’s authors said that the large double-digit increases in June & July can be attributed to backlogs that accumulated due to a lack of shipping capacity brought on by ship owners removing capacity in the coursework of the recession, followed by them taking their time bringing them back online when economic activity picked up.



They added that plenty of retailers may well be transporting more merchandise earlier in the year to keep away from further bottlenecks, explaining that this might lead to July becoming the peak shipping month in 2010 as against October, which is more common.





“Shippers & importers have kind of moved ahead of the market by purchasing early partly out of fear that there was not going to be capacity later on, & it seems that they have gotten a head start,” said Ben Hackett, president of Hackett Associates, in an interview. “This is what drove the May-July figures.



Hackett added that they believes the container shortage is close to an finish, with carriers putting vessels back in to service that are charged with bringing back empty containers from Europe & North The united states. & the amount of empty containers moving out of U.S. ports is higher through the first four months of 2010 than it was for all of 2009, according to Port Tracker.



& with various economic indicators taking steps backwards in recent weeks, Hackett pointed out that consumer confidence appears to be moving in lockstep with that trend, as current levels—since June—are in line with August 2009.



Although the Port Tracker document maintains that July may turn out to be the peak shipping month of the year, Hackett noted that does not mean there won't be growth in the approaching months.



In fact, year-over-year projected growth rates are still in double-digits, with July & August projected to hit 1.38 million TEU (25 percent increase) & 1.32 million TEU (14 percent increase, respectively. September is expected to hit 1.32 million TEU (16 percent increase, & October is slated for 1.31 million TEU (10 percent increase. November & December are projected to hit 1.19 million TEU (9 percent increase) & 1.12 million TEU (2 percent increase), respectively.





“We aren’t back to where they were four years ago & consumers aren’t satisfied that the recession is over yet, but 2010 is clearly going to finish better than last year,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain & Customs Policyowner Jonathan Gold said in a statement. “In the meantime, retailers are monitoring demand closely & hoping to see increases in employment & other areas that will boost consumer confidence. Cargo numbers this summer are showing unusually high percentage increases, but that appears to be an indication of shortages in shipping capacity earlier in the year than sales expectations.”



The latest Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates