TORONTO, ON – The latest results published by the Canadian General Freight Index (CGFI) show the total cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers decreased by 2.7 percent in October when compared with September.

Despite this being the second month-over-month decline the index is up 6.7 percent compared to October 2014, following year-ago double-digit improvements in September through July.

This measure includes only general freight shipments and includes all accessorial and fuel surcharges. It excludes specialty freight services, rail, air, ocean and courier shipments. Freight services paid in U.S. currency have been translated into Canadian dollars based on the exchange rate applicable on the shipment date.

The Base Rate Index, which excludes the impact of accessorial charges assessed by carriers, decreased 2.1 percent when compared to the month before, following a decline of 0.7 percent in September versus the month before and a 0.7 percent improvement in August.

This measure turned in a 13.8 percent improvement in October compared to a year earlier following gains of nearly 18 percent in both September and August.

Average fuel surcharges assessed by carriers decreased again in October. Fuel was 12.96 percent of base rates in October, its lowest level so far in 2015, versus 13.28 percent in September. This compares to a level of 33.02 percent in October 2014.

“Similar to last month, both base and fuel costs dropped,” said Doug Payne, president and chief operating officer of Nulogx, a transportation management systems provider who provides analysis of the report.

“Total domestic less-than-truckload (LTL) increased while total domestic and cross-border truckload and cross border LTL decreased,” he said. “Although domestic LTL has increased the past two months, year-over-year is still in negative territory, while domestic truckload and cross border LTL and truckload show increases year-over-year.”