Each month, you’ll receive exclusive FTR forecasts powered by our proprietary Freight•cast™ system, including the Rail Shippers Conditions Index, Railcar Utilization Outlook, and Carload Forecasts.

These aren’t generic charts — they’re forward-looking indicators built on millions of economic and industry data points that reveal early signals of rate pressure, capacity tightening, and shifts in carload demand. Whether you’re negotiating contracts, allocating equipment, or reporting to leadership, you’ll have reliable foresight to act, not react.

The Rail Update breaks down forecasts by AAR commodity groupings, giving you actionable intelligence on where demand is rising or falling across key verticals like chemicals, building materials, automotive, agriculture, and forest products.

Procurement and sales teams can align customer strategies, pricing models, and network planning with real freight opportunities — not guesswork. For marketing and business development teams, this detail pinpoints which sectors to pursue and where to focus outreach

Evaluate performance and reliability with in-depth metrics across major railroads — including velocity, dwell time, and cars online — to understand how service issues could impact your supply chain or your customers.

These insights help procurement teams hold carriers accountable, guide discussions with partners, and plan for disruptions before they occur. You’ll also gain visibility into total network capacity and utilization trends that directly influence rate negotiations and shipment timing.

Freight doesn’t move in a vacuum. Every Rail Update connects market trends to broader economic forces through macroeconomic forecasts that cover GDP, manufacturing output, consumer spending, and employment trends.

These indicators help you anticipate how the economy will shape your freight demand, rate environment, and customer activity over the next several quarters. It’s the bridge between market intelligence and financial strategy — turning economic data into actionable business planning.

Each month, FTR analysts cut through the noise to tell you what really matters and why. Their commentary highlights the most impactful data shifts, industry headlines, and risks that deserve your attention — so you don’t waste time chasing noise.

Subscribers also get access to exclusive client-only webinars, where your entire team (procurement, sales, or marketing) can join to hear the latest insights, ask questions, and turn FTR’s intelligence into strategy.