Market Watch

[ultrarunner]

This statement shows how U.S. freight transportation is changing. Last year I attended a conference focused on transportation of forest products. There was a presentation by BNSF railway. Their presentation focused on an ambitious infrastructure investment plan to become the favored transcontinental freight transport. The presenters stated that one train can transport the equivalent of 160 trucks at 20% of the fuel cost of trucks. It looks like their plan is working.

“The rail freight market share is expected to increase by USD 29.29 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 2.15%.Oct 2, 2023

https://finance.yahoo.com › news

Rail Freight Transportation Market size to grow by USD 42.88 billion ...​

I’ve heard reports sales are up in terms of dollars but the questioning side of me says dollars sales up but are sales really up when inflation factored?

Some of my retail friends tell me they are up dollar for dollar over previous years but but profit is down due to higher costs across the board…

It does make for a nice headline…

 

[jyoutz]

I’ve heard reports sales are up in terms of dollars but the questioning side of me says dollars sales up but are sales really up when inflation factored?

Some of my retail friends tell me they are up dollar for dollar over previous years but but profit is down due to higher costs across the board…

It does make for a nice headline…

There’s no doubt that transcontinental rail freight is up and increasing. The main line BNSF southern CA to Chicago line is double stacking containers and according to the local office is averaging 43 trains per day, up from 29 trains 5 years ago. Another interesting fact that was presented is that a freight train can move 1 ton of cargo 500 miles on 1 gallon of diesel and can replace 160 trucks. This increase in rail traffic is one reason why trucking congestion at the west coast ports has stabilized or reduced. Obviously at the conference presentation I attended, BNSF was promoting their company, but I think their basic facts are correct.

 

[Oldstuff]

I live within 1,000 feet of BNSF rails in northeast Missouri and the traffic on these rails is increasing!

 

[Williy]

If you think that inflation is low this is wally world prices:
small pies from 50 cents to 74 cents
donuts from 54 cents to 78 cents etc

gas has come down from over $3+ t;o $2.53 but when ***** was
in office gas was $1.68 gal

Here is a site that talks about natural gas to gasoline:

Natural Gas to Gasoline

A firm claims to have a cheaper way to harness natural gas.

www.technologyreview.com

willy

 

[jyoutz]

If you think that inflation is low this is wally world prices:
small pies from 50 cents to 74 cents
donuts from 54 cents to 78 cents etc

gas has come down from over $3+ t;o $2.53 but when ***** was
in office gas was $1.68 gal

Here is a site that talks about natural gas to gasoline:

Natural Gas to Gasoline

A firm claims to have a cheaper way to harness natural gas.

www.technologyreview.com

willy

I saw gas down to $1.18 during May 2020 during the Covid shutdown period, but I can’t remember $1.68 gas before Covid, unless you’re talking about 10 years before Covid.

“U.S. regular retail gasoline prices averaged $2.60 per gallon (gal) in 2019, 11 cents/gal (4%) lower than in 2018. Gasoline prices rose steadily during the first quarter of the year, rising from $2.24 on January 7 to $2.90/gal on May 6, before gradually declining through the rest of the year.Jan 8, 2020”

Homepage - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) › detail

2019 regular gas prices were higher than they are today. I bought gas 3 days ago for $2.49.

​

 

[goeduck]

small pies from 50 cents to 74 cents
donuts from 54 cents to 78 cents etc
gas has come down from over $3+ t;o $2.53 but when ***** was in office gas was $1.68 gal

And someone says businesses are gouging if they do not set their prices today based on those 50 cent, 54 cent and $1.68/gal prices respectively. As if prices went down. Can you believe it?

 

[rScotty]

I believe the posts here; TBNers aren't making this stuff up, they post what they are experiencing.
And their posts say different areas and states are dealing with some really different economies.

It does seems like the Eastern states - north, south, and coastal - are having hard times and a far more difficult recovery in these years post covid. While the mountain and western states are doing much better, almost as good as before.

I think we all agree that economic and social problems are tightly tied to gov't policy, but since it is different in different states, doesn't it make sense that a lot of this is mostly due to differences in state and local governments?
Overall federal & administration policies are more general, and apply pretty much equally everywhere.

rScotty

 

[edgarrian]

This statement shows how U.S. freight transportation is changing. Last year I attended a conference focused on transportation of forest products. There was a presentation by BNSF railway. Their presentation focused on an ambitious infrastructure investment plan to become the favored transcontinental freight transport. The presenters stated that one train can transport the equivalent of 160 trucks at 20% of the fuel cost of trucks. It looks like their plan is working.

“The rail freight market share is expected to increase by USD 29.29 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 2.15%.Oct 2, 2023

https://finance.yahoo.com › news

Rail Freight Transportation Market size to grow by USD 42.88 billion ...​

Rail maybe growing as suggested in this article and what you have been saying. But most articles show that freight is down across the board. Its down on trucking, train, and ships for the year of 2023. Expectations is just that. Forward thinking to get investors. Thoughts on train is that derailments happen about 2000 times a year. Its down over the decade buy has increased YoY. This was hot topic when a town in Ohio was the center of attention. Rail has a problem in that each company owns the tracks or share ownership of the tracks. They are not owned by the government. So they dont get infrastructure money like so many think they do. Its why derailments happen so much. Shipping crude by train should be a no no b/c a pipeline is safer, less spills and just more efficient.

As for the economy. Prices are in fact up. Credit car debt is extremely high. Car reposession is up to 200,000 a month. Foreclsures are becoming a thing again. Groceries are higher than ever. Parts for cars and in store shopping has increased pricing as have restaurants People are falling behind. What will happen IF you ask me a recession. IF we ask you nothing. IN 2019 when the economy was "great" the federal reserve had to step in and buy up a bunch of bad debt. Repos were set to explode then. They covered it up. Maybe that happens again. They just keep printing money to keep a economy that was built on basically 2% interest. Ive always said an economy built on historically low interest rates is a weak economy.

 

[Rdrcr]

Regular gasoline is still $4.79 here in WA. I have no idea what you guys are talking about, lol.

Prices for ALL goods remain high.

Mike

 

[jyoutz]

Regular gasoline is still $4.79 here in WA. I have no idea what you guys are talking about, lol.

Prices for ALL goods remain high.

Mike

High, or a new normal? I remember 5 years ago some people asking for a $15 minimum wage. Today, no matter what the states set as a minimum wage, even fast food is paying $18+ and other wages are up as well. Prices aren’t going to decline because wages never go backwards.