The growth of U.S. exports, especially to countries such as China, has put a spotlight on the need for strategic inland ports across the United States, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Inland ports, which traditionally focus on moving and handling imports, are also facilitating the effective movement of goods outside the U.S.

APL Logistics has introduced AutoDirect, a service that uses flexible, secure racks to transport finished vehicles from door to door.

Synchronet Intermodal Services Inc. (SIS) has expanded its North American street-turn service to include both beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) and non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOs).

Truckload pricing remained constant from July to August according to the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, which for the second month in a row registered a value of 109.5. On a year-over-year basis, truckload rates are up 1.0 percent. After seeing substantial year-over-year growth rates last year and early in 2012, truckload pricing has continued to see its rate of growth move down over the last few months, according to Avondale Partners' recent report.

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending Sept. 1 declined 3.4 percent measured against the comparable week of 2011, the Association of American Railroads said. But U.S. intermodal continued its winning streak, up a robust 6.5 percent during the week compared with one year ago.

North American freight volumes continued to drop off, and on a year-over-year basis, shipment volumes were down 1.1 percent from last August. This is the third time this year freight shipments have fallen below the level for the same month in 2011. Freight volumes grew 9.9 percent during the first half of the year, but after two months of consecutive contraction, the annual growth has fallen to 8.0 percent.

Executives of some top U.S. railroads provided a dim outlook for peak autumn shipping season - the time when retailers traditionally stock up in advance of the holidays - saying that the economy clearly has slowed.

North American railroads from Burlington Northern Santa Fe to CSX Corp. (CSX) are bracing for limited increases in pre-holiday shipments as weak consumer sentiment exacerbates shrinking corn and coal loads.

International Asset Systems (IAS) has introduced ChasssisManager, a service intended to simplify the rental process and maximize asset utilization for chassis providers.

U.S. shippers importing goods from Mexico say they are looking for new transportation options, such as rail, as truckload capacity along the border gets tighter.