Gauges
14 OVERDRIVE APRIL 2009 Gauges Numbers that affect and reflect your business COSTS $2.12 $2.02 $1.99 $2.01 $2.12 March 9, 2009 10,500 10,000 9,500 9,000 8,500 8,000 7,500 $1.30 $1.20 $1.10 $1.00 $0.90 $0.80 $0.70 $0.60 $0.50 $0.40 2007 2007 2007 Quarterly data points represent three-month averages. MILES PER MONTH FUEL COSTS PER MILE TOTAL COSTS PER MILE, ALL SEGMENTS 2008 2008 2008 National average: $2.05 $4.00 $3.00 $2.00 $1.00 $0.00 U .S. Depar tment of Ener gy Mar. 8 Mar. 9 Mar. 9 1999 2004 2009 Cargo thefts spiked 13 percent from 2007 to 2008, increasing from 45 to 51 reported thefts monthly, says Dan Burges of FreightWatch International USA in Austin, Texas. The most freight was stolen in Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Atlanta and Memphis. Last year, theft tripled in Ohio and increased along the I-95 cor-ridor through New Jersey and southward. Stolen pharmaceuticals were the most costly in dollar value of the 10 commodities the agency tracked. Cargo heists in Mexico have become increas-ingly aggressive. Cargo theft gangs are very confrontational and use techniques such as `jump ups,' fake police checkpoints and weapons, Burges says. BORDER TRADE Surface trade between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement partners, Canada and Mexico, was 13.1 percent lower in December 2008 year-over-year, dropping to $52.9 billion, accord-ing to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. December was the sec-ond straight month with a year-to-year decline of more than 13 percent. Costs per mile across all segments were 7 cents less in the fourth quarter than in the same peri-od in 2007. Fourth-quarter miles fell year-over-year for dry van and flatbed but increased for reefers, according to financial services provider ATBS. DRY VAN FLATBED REEFER U.S. cargo thefts rise Electronics 24 Construction materials 17 Food/drink 16 Other seven combined 43 Percentage of cargo stolen by type and volume SHIPPING RATES After having jumped in June last year, shipping rates in all seg-ments began a downward plunge that surpassed February 2008's low point. The monthly averages provided by Internet Truckstop include fuel surcharges. Diesel prices fell for nine consecutive weeks after Jan. 12 but were $1.09 more per gallon than 10 years ago. $2.50 $2.25 $2.00 $1.75 $1.50 $1.25 Feb. '07 Feb. '08 Feb. '09 DRY VAN FLATBED REEFER DRY VAN FLATBED REEFER $75* $70 $65 $60 $55 $50 *Billions Dec. 2007 July 2008 Dec. 2008