Cedar Rapids Iowa area has several major longhaul trucking companies based in the area. Its close to the center of the country and right on 80, so I guess its a great spoke location.
The interesting thing I have been watching is the parking lots. For thew last 2 years, the trucking companies have had literary hundreds and hundreds of truck cabs just parked. It looked like a semi truck graveyard.
Last night driving to Iowa City, I went by two of the companies that have had these grave yards. Guess what I saw. Nearly empty parking lots.......
The trucks are moving. This is a huge leading economic indicator in my opinion.
Or it means that it's Christmas in two weeks, and everyone is ordering their gifts from Amazon with free Prime delivery. ;-)
Yep, I want to know if those trucks are back in their usual spots on Jan 15th. Can you take another trip?
I didn't know they had discovered the internal combustion engine in iowa.
I do drive by these guys regularly, and I will say the lot was still pretty full last xmas. Its somting my wife and I talk about as we drive by. I will provide an update early 2011.
And yes we do have internal combustion engine technology. And we dont wipe our asses with corn cobbs anymore. Technology is grand.
Our numbers fiscally (June to November) to date are the best we have seen since 2006. It is very possilbe it things continue through the down period that this is the best year we have had ever.
Things are picking up fine.
Vllad
Vllad, do you know how much of that is due to the online shopping revolution? Or is that just a small portion of your business?
I know we've had upwards of 30 packages delivered here just in the last couple of weeks by fedex and UPS, so I wonder if Amazon skews the numbers somewhat. Delivery and online shopping companies do great, but retail in general sucks...
hmmmm, Grieve, Im not sure I understand. Online shopping is retail. Grantit they are taking business from the local guy, but so is / was walmart.
Grieve Wrote:Vllad, do you know how much of that is due to the online shopping revolution? Or is that just a small portion of your business?
I know we've had upwards of 30 packages delivered here just in the last couple of weeks by fedex and UPS, so I wonder if Amazon skews the numbers somewhat. Delivery and online shopping companies do great, but retail in general sucks...
That is just a nitch market. On-line guys just can't move enough product because of distribution restrictions and if they had any real distribution capabilities they wouldn't be doing stuff purely on-line to begin with.
As far as normal retailers go their on-line business works exactly like their normal supply chain so it is seamless.
The main reason for such a sharp increase is everyone, even the big retailers are having a great year. It really isn't any one thing as much as it is everything. Our numbers would barely move it was only one part of the market.
Vllad
An interesting observation. That trucking firm I ride by has had empty lots ever since I posted. Until 2 weeks ago. The lots have been full for the last 2 weeks? Is this the beginning of a slow down to the recovery?
I am half expecting a large market correction soon.
If you are an avid zerohedge reader like me...an apocalypse is incoming, lol.
Breand Wrote:If you are an avid zerohedge reader like me...an apocalypse is incoming, lol.
I read Zerohedge a lot Breand and also <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://tfmetalsreport.blogspot.com/">http://tfmetalsreport.blogspot.com/</a><!-- m --> (who has given me novice trading skills a great boost)