Canadian Freight Index Jumps 24 Percent in March

TORONTO — After one percent gains in both January and February, TransCore’s spot market Canadian freight index for March saw volumes up 24 percent month-over-month. Year-over-year volumes, however, were down 18 percent down from last March’s rare record-setting levels reached.

TransCore said that postings by their Canadian-based Loadlink customers were down 11 percent from Q1 2011, while consolidated postings from both U.S. and Canadian subscribers’ increased 3 percent year-over-year from Q1 2011.

That 3 percent jump was because of an increase in cross-border postings from U.S.- based companies, which were 63 percent higher than Q1 2011.

Cross-border postings in March accounted for 69 percent of activity by Loadlink’s Canadian customers, with intra-Canada postings taking up 29 percent of total volumes.

Total equipment postings in March increased five percent over February, while year-over-year capacity was up nine percent from March 2011.

Monthly equipment-to-loads ratio dipped for the first time in 2012, and while capacity tightened in March, equipment availability is much more abundant than last March’s capacity crunch.

Top regions for import loads into Canada:

1. Ontario 54 percent
2. Western 22 percent
3. Quebec 21 percent
4. Atlantic 3 percent

Top regions for import equipment into Canada:

1. Ontario 52 percent
2. Western 23 percent
3. Quebec 22 percent
4. Atlantic 3 percent

Top regions for loads within Canada:

1. Western 51 percent
2. Ontario 24 percent
3. Quebec 19 percent
4. Atlantic 6 percent