The Canadian General Freight Index released Wednesday, Aug. 29, indicated that the cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers decreased 1.3 percent in June when compared with May. The Base Rate Index, which excludes the impact of accessorial charges assessed by carriers, decreased by 0.95 percent when compared to May.

Average fuel surcharges assessed by carriers have seen a decrease from 22.1 percent of base rates in April to 20.8 percent in June.

“Looking back, total freight costs have now registered close to the same level as June 2011,” said Doug Payne, president and chief operating officer of Nulogx, which oversees the index. “It appears that the combinations of downward pressures on base rates are being offset by higher fuel and accessorial charges from a year ago.”