Trucking Conditions Index

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index Basically Neutral in August

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) improved to an essentially neutral 0.3 in August from -1.03 in July. The gain was due primarily to less challenging freight rates. Although utilization was the most positive factor, it was not very strong.

While the near-term TCI outlook is in similar range as August’s reading, we forecast improved market conditions in 2026 and 2027.

Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking, commented, “The potential for a capacity-driven recovery in trucking has risen over the past month due to severe restrictions imposed on issuing and renewing commercial driver’s licenses for foreign drivers. However, despite some anecdotal reports about various effects of a crackdown on immigrant drivers, available data has yet to show a substantial impact on market conditions. We expect pressure on foreign drivers to be a significant factor for capacity in the coming months, but many questions remain about the scope and speed of the effects of tighter CDL and English language enforcement on the truck freight market.”

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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 Basically Neutral in August