Manufacturers who rely on the railroads for relatively inexpensive freight transportation should prepare themselves for an expected increase of 5.4 percent in rates in 2008, according to the Freight Pulse survey conducted by equity research firm Morgan Stanley. Meanwhile, based on the responses from companies using various modes of transportation to move their freight, virtually no rate increases (0.4 percent) are expected from the truckload carriers, and very modest hikes (1.2 percent to 1.5 percent) are anticipated from less-than-truckload carriers.
Source: Industry Week, http://industryweek.com