Benchmark your freight performance by leveraging the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index™. Published quarterly, the index showcases current freight shipping volumes and expenditures on both national and regional levels with commentary by Bob Costello, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

The Q2 2020 data revealed that both the shipment and spend index contracted from Q1 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Bank National Shipment Index dropped 7.6% and the spend index was down 13.7%. Despite the notable declines, the data also highlights some improved signs of economic and trucking activity and increases in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors.

Subscribe to the index at freight.usbank.com.

Efforts are underway in the U.S. to break China’s monopoly on the mining and processing of rare earth minerals, which are found in many high-tech products for consumer, industrial and military use. But it’s going to be a long haul to achieve that goal.

The coronavirus pandemic, declining global consumption and overproduction have combined to deal a severe blow to the oil industry.