Based in ATL, we’ve not yet seen anything which inspires optimism as cargo volumes are simply pathetic. While the US media laments the state of GM & Chrysler, our 3pl customers servicing the SE automakers MB, BMW, & Hyundai are doodling as recent cutbacks have their facilities running as lean as possible. Locally based suppliers for them all have gone to 4 day work weeks and bare bones staffing and most will perform maintenance over the Spring Break Week.

Export volumes continue to be pathetic and comprised primarily of industrial retail sales. Nothing substantive in the way of production or manufacturing materials are moving in either direction and that is what I’ve used as a measuring stick for 25 years.

What domestic air freight we’re seeing is all consumption related. Again, we are not seeing any of the tell tale shipments reflecting industrial production and what supplies are moving are nothing more than maintenance related.

I am not looking forward to finishing my Q1 accounting and just off the top of my head can state that we are probably down 70+% from Q1 2008 based on what I completed today. When business is at normal levels, I would not be able to produce a complete accounting until the end of April.