Results published today by the Canadian General Freight Index (CGFI) indicate that the cost of ground transportation for Canadian Shippers in September remained the same when compared with August results.
However the Base Rate Index, which excludes the impact of Accessorial Charges assessed by carriers decreased by .1% for the same period.  This was the first decrease in Base Rates since March 2011.
Offsetting the decrease in Base Rates were slight increases in both Average Fuel Surcharges assessed by carriers and Other Accessorial Charges.  During this period the Fuel Surcharges assessed by carriers equated to 20.16% of Base Rates, up from 20.1% in August.  The combined effect of lower Base Rates and higher Accessorial Charges resulted in no change in average transportation costs for Canadian shippers.
“The slight decrease in Base Rates was predominantly driven by reduced costs in the Transborder Truckload sector,” said Doug Payne, President  & COO, Nulogx. “Over the summer these movements were subject to significant cost increases and it is possible that these are easing somewhat” continued Payne.
The CGFI is sponsored by Nulogx, a leading Transportation Management Solutions provider, and is used by shippers and carriers to benchmark performance, develop business plans, and secure competitive agreements. It was developed with the assistance of Dr. Alan Saipe.  The most recent results are available (after registering) at the CGFI website: www.cgfi.ca.