Feb 4, 2010 10:43 AM

Results published by the Canadian General Freight Index (CGFI) indicate that the cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers in November 2009 remained virtually unchanged since October.

Overall freight costs decreased by only 0.1% in November compared with October. Base rates, which exclude the impact of fuel surcharges assessed by carriers, fell 1.5% while average fuel surcharges increased by 7.4% from the month before, negating the benefit of the base rate reduction.

“After many months of steady decline, it appears that we are entering a period of stabilizing freight costs,” said Doug Payne, president of Nulogx. “Going forward, we anticipate that further cost reductions for shippers will come from improved productivity, as opposed to the market forces that have been at work over the last 18 months.”

The CGFI is sponsored by Nulogx, a transportation management systems provider, and is used by shippers and carriers to benchmark performance, develop business plans, and secure competitive agreements. It was developed with the assistance of Dr Alan Saipe. The most recent results are available at www.cgfi.ca.