TORONTO- Load volumes shrunk in February 2015 compared to last year’s record volumes, but remained higher than prior years, according to TransCore Link Logistics Canadian Freight Index.

Even with a shortened month and fewer shipping days, February’s daily loads, taken as an average, were two percent higher than in January 2015. But compared to the highs of 2014, load volumes fell 20 percent in February 2015.

There were no obvious shifts in regional distribution of cross-border loads coming into Canada compared to January. However, regional shifts for loads leaving Canada were observed. Compared to last month, loads leaving Ontario decreased 10 percent, and loads leaving western Canada jumped 17 percent.

Where are the goods coming from?

• 71 percent of all loads came from across the border, a drop of two percent from January 2015;
• 26 percent came from within Canada.

“Despite the lower Canadian dollar, outbound load volumes decreased by nine percent compared to the same period last year. Inbound loads decreased by about a third year-over-year,” TransCore claims.