We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » FTR: industrial sector continues hot pandemic rebound, fueled by stimulus, vaccines

FTR: industrial sector continues hot pandemic rebound, fueled by stimulus, vaccines

Manufacturing still lags pre-covid levels, but recovery speed could be constrained by labor supply, port congestion.

April 5, 2021
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

The U.S. industrial economy is on track for its strongest economic performance in nearly four decades, goosed by a huge jobs-creation report in March, a new round of government stimulus checks, and improvements in the public health sector, FTR Freight Intelligence said today.

That hot growth is expected to continue, since manufacturing and overall employment rates are still short of their pre-pandemic levels, and investors foresee sunny days ahead as measured by record highs in the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index, FTR analyst Steve Graham wrote in the firm’s “Monday Morning Coffee" blog post today.

Looking further ahead, additional economic gains are likely in store, fueled by the Biden Administration’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure renewal plan and by accelerating vaccine rollouts, he said.

However, even as the recovery continues, it is hitting roadblocks such as worker absenteeism in the face of lingering coronavirus concerns, as well as limited supplies of parts and materials exacerbated by a burst of Arctic weather that froze activity throughout the southwest in February, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) noted in a recent manufacturing report.

“Respondents noted that the severe winter storms in February caused problems with supply chains and that while improving in March, production struggled to make up for some of the downtimes. The shortfall in inputs is likely to last through the summer in some industries. The future looks bright for manufacturing, but supply chain problems will not fade very fast,” Graham said in the FTR report.

Another hiccup in the accelerating U.S. recovery from the pandemic recession is a shortage of the Class 8 trucks required to move both raw materials and finished products, as vehicle production is being constrained by a global microchip shortage and port congestion, FTR said in a separate report today.


Global Strategy
KEYWORDS FTR Transportation Intelligence
  • Related Articles

    Hot trucking sector reined in by diesel prices, Russian invasion of Ukraine

    Industrial businesses gearing up for post-pandemic rebound, sourcing stats show

    Report: logistics and transportation sector on pace to recover pandemic job losses by 2022

Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

BrightDrop delivers 150 electric parcel vans to FedEx network

Survey: 90% of procurement leaders will tweak operating models to cope with economic outlook

J.B. Hunt trials self-driving trucks in Texas pilot

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • How to resolve your inventory dilemma

  • Container prices continue to drop

  • Regionalized supply chains: the key to resilience

  • Warehouse vacancy rates sink to 27-year low

  • Empty shipping containers stack up at U.S. port depots

Featured Video

Cccb7d13 710a 4473 8132 da8b6cc286f1

The Sportsman's Guide Case study: Increasing Accuracy & Productivity

Viewer Contributed
Thanks to the Lucas Warehouse Optimization Suite, The Sportsman's Guide has increased productivity, reduced training time, and experienced a boost in accuracy for both full-time staff and seasonal employees. Want to learn how Lucas can help your DC be more efficient, accurate, and safe while reducing labor costs?...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Case Study: Peak Teams helps boost headcount quickly on a short-term project

  • Breaking Bad: Conducting Full Truckload RFPs in the Age of Digital Freight Procurement

  • Omnitracs One – Last Mile Solutions

  • The enterprise shipper's guide to building a smarter truckload RFP

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2022. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing