BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index for October slightly improved to 0.3 from the September reading of -0.5.
“Although we still lack comprehensive insights into the state of the U.S. economy, a recent Federal Reserve revision of industrial production estimates implies that freight demand is even weaker than we thought,” said Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking. “That’s good news for shippers in the near term as it suggests that freight capacity might still exceed volume significantly, but it raises the prospect of a faster and stronger market tightening when freight demand does recover. We believe the freight market has entered an inevitable transition phase that could yield volatility in the coming months.”
Most market factors were more favorable for shippers in October, but stronger freight rates offset most of those improvements. The current outlook is basically neutral through mid-2026 before turning mildly negative for shippers, but the major delay in economic data due to the government shutdown has temporarily hampered FTR’s analysis. FTR expects to have much more clarity within a month or so.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
