FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for October increased for the third consecutive month to -16.4, the highest reading since November 2008. But the index, a combination of five industry statistics, remains significantly below a neutral reading of zero.
CK Commercial Vehicle Research’s 2009 Fleet Study indicates a likely slow demand for new 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-compliant power units as they initially are introduced. Respondents to the study were wary of committing to placing orders for the new equipment in the first half of 2010; even the 42 percent of respondents who said they might place orders characterized, on average, the actual probability that trucks would be purchased in the first six months of 2010 at 50 percent.
Investment bank Robert W. Baird & Co. released its inaugural quarterly transportation and logistics M&A industry report on consolidation and equity markets data. For the year-to-date period through October, there were a total of 2,546 disclosed middle-market transactions in transportation and logistics, down from 3,052 transactions during the same period last year. Middle-market deal value year-to-date of $146.3 billion was down 42.8 percent. The report covers six sub-sectors, including Third Party Logistics; Truckload; Less Than Truckload; Integrators & Airfreight; Leasing Services; and Railroad.
U.S. Small Business Administration and Dell launched an online video series offering tools and strategies to help small business owners rebound from the economic recession. The series, “Strategies for Growth: Advice for Expanding Your Business,” includes advice from successful small business owners and is available at www.sba.gov/strategiesforgrowth.
