The Bandit Market Report, in existence since 2000, is published on a weekly basis and is intended to be a source of west coast lumber present, future, and pricing trend information.  We appreciate receiving some of this information from Do it Best Corporation.

Gold Beach Lumber values the opportunity to serve it's customers on the Southern Oregon Coast. 

Wishing you a wonderful and safe Independence Day Weekend!

THE BOTTOM LINE: Gold Beach Lumber price motion this week: Falling Down - like brightly colored sparks in the sky.

OSB:  OSB activity was slow last week. Trucking is a problem. Freight rates are moving up and drivers are being selective about loads they will take. Most mills have a 2 week order file and are firm on their pricing. We suggest a 3-4 week inventory.

Western Plywood:  Mills leaned on two week order files, due to the upcoming holiday, but saw little inquiry this week. Cars to the East were bought by some dealers but local trucks made up the bulk of what sparse buying actually took place. Speculative activity was lean. Order files are one to two weeks, with Plyform and sanded plywood the furthest out. We recommend dealers maintain light to medium inventory.

Western SPF:  A lackluster week in Western Spruce led to some minor price reductions by mid week last week. The wholesale market was trying to find a price level for their speculative purchases with some success at levels well below the current mill levels. Look for prices to weaken this week as this two tiered market puts the pressure on the mills.

Coastal Dimension  
Green Dimension:  Green Doug Fir sales were in the doldrums again as buyers continued their cautious ways. Lack of demand pushed most buyers to the sidelines.  Prices will continue to be flat to down in the near term. The strategy continues to be covered for two to three weeks.

Dry Dimension:  No Report.

Transportation / Retail Diesel Fuel:  Lead times for trucks averaged four days again last week in most areas, but truck service appears to be marginally improving in general. Better service in the Midwest and Northeast will likely materialize soon as manufacturers across industries stop production for summer shut-downs. However, bottlenecks in the Southeast persist, where shippers are waiting a week or more to ship loads from cities including Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA; spot market pricing for truck service in these areas is extremely high.

Fuel prices at the pump actually fell last week, averaging $4.648 per gallon. However, crude oil is soaring - eclipsing the $140 per barrel mark late last week. As a result, upward pressure on freight rates is expected over the near term. We expect lead times to average in the three- to four-day range for most areas over the next 30 days.

Gold Beach Weather Forecast:  The temperatures are expected to remain warm - again reaching into the 70's, but don't expect the clouds to clear out before next week.  Beginning Monday and for the remainder of the week we will experience bright, sunny days.  Overnight lows should remain in the 50's.  Unfortunately, with the sunny days also return the breezy afternoons - blowing the fog away.