TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the fourth consecutive month, TransCore Link Logistics Canadian Freight Index continued its trend-setting elevated load volumes. March volumes were the highest ever recorded for any month, surpassing last March’s volumes by 50 percent and last month’s volumes by 16 percent.
The first quarter shattered any combined quarterly volumes since TransCore Link Logistics started recording data. Load volumes for the first quarter soared 51 percent from fourth quarter 2013 and increased 52 percent compared to the first quarter in 2013. Equipment postings for the quarter were the lowest first quarter results seen since 2005.
Increases in load volumes were not limited to specific regions; rather, increased load volumes were reflected across the board in inbound, outbound and inter-Canadian freight.
Cross-border postings accounted for 71 percent of total load volumes.
- Cross-border loads originating in Canada destined to the United States sprang radically by 92 percent year-over-year.
- Cross-border loads originating in the United States destined for provinces within Canada jumped by 42 percent year-over-year.
- The top five states of origin for loads destined to Canada ordered from highest to lowest total loads were Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
Intra-Canada load volumes represented 24 percent of the total volumes for February and rose notably by 32 percent year-over-year.
Although equipment postings increased by four percent in March from the previous month, this slight rise can be attributed to the longer month. Equipment levels have not been this low for the month of March since 2005. Posted trucks fell by 18 percent from the first quarter of last year. The equipment-to-load ratio carried its unbroken month-to-month decline since October 2013 in March to 1.17 from 1.31 the previous month, and 2.08 from March 2013. The truck–to-load ratio for March represented the tightest capacity on record.
Information within the freight index includes all domestic, cross-border and interstate data submitted by Loadlink’s Canadian-based customers.
About Canada’s Largest Freight Matching System
TransCore’s Loadlink freight matching database constitutes the largest Canadian network of carriers, owner operators, freight brokers and intermediaries and has been available to Canadian subscribers since its inception in 1990. Over 13 million full loads, LTL (less than truck load) shipments and trucks are posted to the Loadlink network annually. As a result of this high volume, TransCore’s Canadian Freight Index is representative of the ups and downs in spot market freight movement and provides a historical account of the domestic and cross border spot market freight movement. The Loadlink network provides Canadian based companies with:
- The largest online database of available loads and trucks
- Unlimited access to the network and integrated services
- Posting Index load and capacity ratios
- Guaranteed payment
About TransCore Link Logistics
TransCore’s freight solutions serve brokers, carriers, owner-operators and shippers in the United States and Canada with best-in-class products. Loadlink has the largest Canadian freight matching database of loads and trucks and offers access to other services such as Quickpay, credit reports, insurance and operating authorities, dispatch software, mileage software and more. TransCore’s trailer tracking and in-cab communications solutions feature the industry’s fastest response times and state-of-the-art satellite networking.
TransCore is a unit of Roper Industries, a diversified growth company and constituent of the Standard and Poor’s S&P 500, Fortune 1000, and the Russell 1000 indices.
