Think rates have taken a hit in trucking? Have a look at this:

Don't give them any ideas.......


BUT GOD #### THAT WAS FUNNY!!!!!!:smt023:smt023:smt023:smt023

 

Yeah this is old news. The marine cargo industry went hog wild ordering ships just after Y2K due to great rates at the time. Capacity blew up and, coincidentally, rates took a dive. Just in time for the more general market recession. Same thing happened with cruise ships and airlines.

Sears, JCP, and probably Target are going to be the next Blockbuster Video or Border's (books). Their market has evaporated, yet they continue to bleed money trying to resuscitate a dead business model that no longer has interested customers. Middle-ground retail has been circling the drain for the last 10 years. Only the ones at the extremes are doing well. Either high-end department stores or discounters like WallyWorld.

 

Interesting take on the WSJ show on cable the other week on big box retailers. They say the city and county taxes are killing them. I remember for years when these developments where being proposed that they talked about the increased tax revenue. And many places looking to keep them out implemented what is being called the big box tax. Over a certain amount of sq feet and you paid additional property taxes.

Shipping has not seen the level of increase with the economy coming back because many manufactures have come back to North America. The name of the game is just in time and leaner inventories. Someone has capital tied up when it is on a ship. And now with labor costs and regulation costs going up in these countries, it is getting harder to justify going off-shore.

 

I got the gravy. A ship, or rail road car can't drive up an ally. When I can't cover my costs, I'm gone. You pay, or I don't play. I am the President of, (If you want it, I can get it.) (delivery is extra) club.

 

you can get an entire cargo ship from China to the UK for $10k ? wtf, I'm doing it. Anybody wanna go along ? Not quite as luxurious as Carnival boats, but man that would be cool.

Warning, I will be standing on the bow shouting, "I'm king of the world" several times per day.

 

as long as your not reinacting the bad part of TITANIC have fun

 

Someone mentioned sears bleeding out. I refuse to buy anything at sears all tools are made in china now. Might pay 2 times the price or more but mac tools, snap on and matco, and cornwell still make most all there tools in good old usa. I do my best to find anything made in usa and buy it if i need it. Just about everything i own in my house or trk or shop is made in the usa. Right down to the clothes i wear. A lot of people are more concerned about price rather than quality. I'd rather pay more for quality and only buy item once than buy same cheap item multiple times and end up with cost equivelant in long run.

 

When I was in a truck I would buy my jeans at Walmart. The Wally World brand. They where half the price of Levi's and lasted the same amount of time. But then when I started farming I found an online store to get Carhartt at for a little more BUT they lasted. Actually, have only tossed one pair and that was when I had a combine blade rip a hole in them.

But they are now made in Mexico. Still buy them because they are hands down the best work cloths on the market but would like to see them back in the USA.

And Craftsman tools while never the best it was always easy to get them replaced. Years ago it seemed I was replacing stuff monthly and they got used half the time when I was younger.

 

Seems like there'd be more money in scrapping the ship than running it for less than cost.

 

It doesn't matter to me what it was in 2009. What are the numbers today?