FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index rebounds in April to best reading since September 2020

FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index (SCI) rebounded in April to a reading of -1.7 after shippers experienced the toughest conditions on record in March. The April SCI is the best since September 2022.

Shippers found some relief in April from more stable diesel prices coupled with less challenging capacity utilization and freight rates resulting in much improved index.  The current outlook sees mildly less favorable SCI readings for the rest of 2022, but the days of double-digit negative index levels appear to be over.

Todd Tranausky, vice president of rail and intermodal at FTR, commented, “even though the Shippers Conditions Index rebounded in April, shippers will continue to face headwinds over the balance of the year from strong fuel prices and carriers seeking to limit congestion on their routes as the peak season ramps up in the months ahead.”

The June issue of FTR’s Shippers Update, published June 7th provides a detailed analysis of the factors affecting the April Shippers Conditions Index and provides the forecast for this index through April of 2023. The June issue also includes a discussion of how a weaker consumer sector might affect the economy and the truck freight market.

The Shippers Conditions Index tracks the changes representing four major conditions in the U.S. full-load freight market. These conditions are: freight demand, freight rates, fleet capacity, and fuel price. The individual metrics are combined into a single index that tracks the market conditions that influence the shippers’ freight transport environment. A positive score represents good, optimistic conditions. A negative score represents bad, pessimistic conditions. The index tells you the industry’s health at a glance.