FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index in April was strongest reading since February 2022

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index jumped to 11.6 in April, which is the strongest reading for the index in more than four years. Fuel costs again were a negative for the TCI although a far smaller one than in March, which registered a TCI reading of -1.1. All key market factors were more favorable for carriers in April than they were in March. Freight rates and capacity utilization were by far the largest contributors.

Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking, commented, “While surging fuel costs in the past couple of months obviously created cash flow crunches for many operations, tight capacity and surging freight rates are more than offsetting that challenge, broadly speaking.

“For the overall market, the missing element needed to continue the acceleration in market conditions is freight volume, which is growing but not especially strongly. The demand picture varies quite substantially by sector, however. For example, flatbed operations are benefiting both from capacity constraints and strong freight volume, which appears to be tied to a combination of data center construction and a recent modest recovery in manufacturing activity.

“We expect overall trucking conditions to peak this summer, but our TCI forecast remains solidly favorable for carriers over the two-year forecast horizon.”

Details of the April TCI are found in the June issue of FTR’s Trucking Update, published May 29. The June issue includes commentary highlighting recently released figures on the truck driver population in 2025. The Trucking Update includes data and analysis on load volumes, the capacity environment, rates, and the economy.

The TCI tracks the changes representing five major conditions in the U.S. truck market. These conditions are: freight volumes, freight rates, fleet capacity, fuel prices, and financing costs. The individual metrics are combined into a single index indicating the industry’s overall health. A positive score represents good, optimistic conditions. Conversely, a negative score represents bad, pessimistic conditions. Readings near zero are consistent with a neutral operating environment, and double-digit readings in either direction suggest significant operating changes are likely.

To access charts suitable to accompany this press release: https://www.ftrintel.com/trucking-conditions-index

In addition to the monthly updates on trucking conditions, FTR offers a weekly Trucking Market Update on the State of Freight Podcast. The weekly update, hosted by Avery Vise, covers spot market and economic indicators and major industry developments. Listen to recent episodes and download the accompanying graphics for the latest episode: https://www.ftrintel.com/trucking-podcast

The 2026 FTR Transportation Conference will be held from August 31-September 3 in Indianapolis, including a full day on September 1 dedicated to forecasts and discussions concerning the truck freight market. Learn more and register at ftrconference.com.