Carload volume—at 280,986—was up 0.6 percent annually, and intermodal—at 248,266 trailers and containers—was up 3.9 percent.

Following a March decision by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissions to recommend approval of Class I railroad carrier BNSF Railway’s Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) project, BNSF received more good news yesterday, when the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve the $500 million project.

Even though the economy is clearly not running on all cylinders, things are better than they were just a few years ago, especially in related supply chain, freight transportation and logistics sectors. And as things slowly get better, pricing has returned to the forefront as a balancing act between shipper and carrier relations. That was a main takeaway at the CEO Panel of the recently-concluded NASSTRAC Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla.

April carloads—at 1,108,722—were down 4,640 carloads or 0.4 percent annually. Intermodal—at 962,019 trailers and containers—was up 15,053 units or 1.6 percent compared to April 2012.

In the first quarter edition of its Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics Report, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) said this week that total first quarter intermodal container and trailer movements—at 3,682,049 trailers and containers—were up 4.5 percent annually.

BNSF CEO Matt Rose discusses myriad facets of supply chain in a wide-ranging keynote at last week's NASSTRAC Annual Conference.

Carload volume—at 276,662—was down 2 percent annually, and intermodal—at 240,698 trailers and containers—was up 0.6 percent.

Carload volume—at 280,748—was up 3.7 percent annually, and intermodal—at 231,648 trailers and containers—was up 0.2 percent.

As the Chairman of NASSTRAC’s Advocacy Committee, in concerns me when a shipper asks the following: “Why should I get informed, engaged and involved in what is happening in the transportation industry?”

March carloads—at 1,117,427—were down 5,969 carloads or 0.5 percent annually. Intermodal—at 933,028 trailers and containers—was up 4,859 units or 0.5 percent compared to March 2012.