Trucking Conditions Index

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for February Improves, But the Outlook is Weaker

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index reading for February improved to -0.21 from the January reading of -2.56. Improved volume and utilization and smaller increases in fuel costs mostly offset weaker freight rates to produce near-neutral market conditions for carriers in February. The outlook is notably weaker than it was previously, however.

Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking, commented, “With global tariffs and a full-fledged trade war against China, we have reduced our economic and freight forecasts due to expectations of higher inflation and interest rates and a weaker labor market coupled with a payback from elevated imports in the first quarter to avoid tariffs. With this change, we expect that near-term truck freight market conditions will be more challenging for carriers, postponing a sustained recovery until early next year.”

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This index represents five major conditions in the U.S. full-load truck market. These metrics are combined into a single index that tracks the market conditions that influence fleet behavior.

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FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for February Improves, But the Outlook is Weaker