While 2013 was a complicated year from a purely economic point of view, the major events contributing to this had very little impact on freight, according to Rosalyn Wilson, senior business analyst for Delcan Corporation. Her overview of the freight industry in 2013 follows.

North American shipment volume continued on a downward path in November, according to the Cass Freight Index. The dip was not unexpected, as this is the same weak year-end movement observed for the last three years. Stronger than expected manufacturing activity and shipments of seasonal goods offset a general slowing of freight movements to temper the drop in shipment levels.