North American freight volumes bounced back in August from a normal July dip, but did not cause a similar increase in freight spending. Compared to July, spending was down slightly.

The freight logistics sector slowed in July, following a seasonal trend, with both freight shipments and freight payments down 3.9 percent from the previous month. This drop was consistent with previous summers' drops, so should not be seen as the start of a decline in freight for the second half of 2014.

Truckload linehaul rates paid by North American shippers in June were 5.2 percent higher than in June of last year.

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.

October was a depressed month for freight and the economy in general. The number of shipments and freight expenditures both declined from September, by 3.5 and 2.6 percent, respectively. This marks only the second time this year that both indexes declined in the same month. (Shipment volume in April dropped 3.5 percent, but expenditures fell only 1.6 percent.) The 16-day federal government shutdown is partly to blame for the declines, but prior to the shutdown the economy was already exhibiting signs of a cool down.