Buyers reporting transportation price hikes in February

Source: www.purchasingdata.com

WHAT IT MEANS: That's a slight decrease from the month before, but transportation remains one of the priciest spend areas in Purchasing's monthly survey.

Trucks YRC plans to remove from its network in restructuring

Source: YRC Worldwide

WHAT IT MEANS: With demand for LTL slumping, YRC, parent of Yellow and Roadway, will cut back on capacity, eliminating 600 trucks, 1,200 trailers and 27 service centers.

Level of Baltic Dry Index on Feb. 26

Source: Baltic Exchange

WHAT IT MEANS: By itself, the number doesn't mean much, but as a trend, the index shows that ocean drybulk freight rates have started the year very high (8,891), dropped to a low on Jan. 29 (5,615) and are heading up again.