WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect Jan. 22, 2023. The new rates include a three-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 60 cents to 63 cents.

Paper Excellence announced the indefinite curtailment of its paper operations at the Catalyst Crofton facility starting in early December 2022. Paper markets in China served by the mill have significantly weakened while there have been substantial cost escalations for chemicals, energy and wood fibre used at Crofton.  The intersection of these pressures has materially impacted the financial viability of the paper operation.

Are September rail volumes an indicator of wider economic factors like an economic slowdown or not? That's a question observers might ask as they look at this past month's railroad traffic. U.S. rail volumes for September totaled 1.94 million carloads and intermodal units, a 3.1% decline from the same month in 2021

The freight market has been in a tailspin since the spring, but the less-than-truckload carriers are still increasing rates. Dry van truckload contract rates have fallen ~7% since June, according to FreightWaves invoice data. The same database shows about a 2% increase in LTL prices over the same time.