Average prices for trucking services increased 0.6% in January 2007 thanks in large part to a 1% hike in prices charged by long-distance truckload carriers of general freight. After three consecutive months of price cuts in the final quarter of 2006, TL rates are expected to bounce back sometime this year. LTL prices dipped 0.1% in January, but were up 3.1% from the same month a year earlier. Prices for hauling specialized freight, such as chemicals and autos, increased 0.5% in January. That price hike was fueled by local truckers, as long-distance specialized carriers actually cut tags by 0.1%. After all the data is analyzed, we see TL prices now stand 17.2% higher than the average price level recorded in 2001, and LTL tags are 30.3% higher.

Domestic airlines pushed through some large price hikes for passenger travel in January 2007, but did not follow suit for cargo flying on scheduled flights. Indeed, average prices for shipping property on scheduled flights in January 2007 actually fell 0.1% from December and dropped 1.2% from January 2006. All airfreight prices, which include mail and property, held steady from a month ago and declined 1% from the same month a year earlier. As for air courier prices, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that average tags for domestic air courier service jumped 5.7% from December to January and international air courier prices soared 8.2%.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that prices fell 5.6% for inland water freight in January compared to the previous month, nor by the fact that prices were up only 0.6% from a year ago. These shippers remain in a budget bind, thanks to a 19.7% annual price hike in 2006. Average prices for inland waterways transportation still stand a whopping 42.7% higher now than they did in 2001. As for the other water transportation markets, shippers of coastal and intercoastal freight also faced some challenges in January. Here average prices increased 3.8% from December and were up 6.7% from a year ago. Prices on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway increased 0.1% and 7% over the same time periods.

Intermodal rail service seems to be approaching some kind of parity with truckload pricing, albeit gradually. In January 2007, average prices for intermodal shipments dropped 0.6%, which was the third consecutive, monthly price decline. Now prices for intermodal are about back to where they were in June 2006. Compared to average prices paid in 2001, intermodal tags are up 20%. That’s not too far off from the 17.2% gain over the same time period for TL trucking service. Carload service, meanwhile, registered a 0.2% price hike in January. Compared to the same month a year ago, carload tags were up 2.2%. And compared to 2001, carload prices are up 33.1%