Shipping bookings crashed in April! When will the US economy come back?

The transportation industry has long been regarded as an important barometer of the U.S. economy. However, the latest financial reports released by a number of transportation companies, including air and road companies, have fallen short of expectations, indicating that consumption demand is at risk of cooling down.

Data from FreightWaves SONAR, a provider of application chain heat maps, shows that in April, the ratio of sea waybills exported from all ports in the world and those exported to all ports in the United States fell by half.

Freight volumes by truck and rail have fallen sharply as shipments have shrunk. Sipson, president of J.B. Hunt, the largest trucking and logistics company in the United States, said that it is facing "goods return". "We're in a challenging environment for cargo movement, and for an industry where continuous surface aeration creates cost pressures, there is pressure on transportation prices," he said on a conference call.

The financial report released by logistics giant UPS this week was also dismal, with revenue falling 6% in the first quarter and earnings per share down 27% year-on-year. Support distribution, after the online sales that peaked during the epidemic began to fade, the deceleration-oriented delivery volume of the US retail industry was lower than expected, and most express companies faced the problem of excess temporary distribution capacity.

Combined with the recent financial reports of transportation companies, the industry believes that weak demand and high cargo transportation have caused the company to continue to face difficulties, and it also shows the uncertainty facing the economy.