March 24, 2008

The American Trucking Association announced it is projecting record-high diesel fuel prices in 2008. The association said the trucking industry will spend $135 billion on fuel, based on current fuel price forecasts. This is $22 billion more than in 2007.
 
Historically, according to the ATA, fuel represented the second-highest operating expense for motor carriers, accounting for as much as 25% of total operating costs. For some carriers, however, fuel is starting to surpass labor as the largest expense.
 
The cost to fill the fuel tanks on a typical tractor trailer has increased 116%, or $615, in just five years, according to the ATA. Because trucks haul 70% of all freight tonnage, the ATA says, rising fuel costs have the potential to increase …

Source: Statistics Canada, www.statcan.ca
 
Canadian manufacturers started 2008 with a modest but positive lift in sales. Manufacturing sales increased by 1.3% in January to $49.3 billion, as the sector struggled to spring back from the three-year low posted in December (-3.7%).
 
Notwithstanding January’s increase, manufacturing sales, which have been trending downward for much of the last year, remained 7.1% below the recent peak reached in March 2007 ($53.1 billion) and with the exception of the previous month, January 2008 marked the lowest sales level since March of 2005.

Much of the weakness continued to come from the motor vehicle and parts …