FTR Trucking Conditions Index sets new record

Another month brought another record for the new edition of the Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) released this week by freight transportation consultancy FTR.

According to FTR, a TCI reading above zero represents an adequate trucking environment, with readings above 10 indicating that volumes, prices and margin are in a good range for carriers.

The April TCI, which is the most recent month for which data is available, came in at 16.82, topping March’s 16.17, the previous all-time high.

FTR said that although most market factors were not quite as strong in April as they were in March, a reversal of March’s higher diesel prices improved overall trucking conditions. And it added that the relief in fuel costs was short-lived, but it expects solid freight demand coupled with high-capacity utilization and robust freight rates to keep the TCI quite strong in the near term and at least in positive single digits well into 2022 and perhaps beyond.

“我们还没有看到迹象表明司机能力situation is changing, and May’s weak payroll jobs data for trucking is one indication,” said Avery Vise, FTR vice president of trucking, in a statement. “Over the next few months, one potential constraint—generous unemployment benefits—will end. While those benefits likely contribute to the hiring challenge, we are skeptical that their demise will fundamentally change the dynamic. Given robust competition for labor – job openings in the economy are at an all-time high – trucking’s capacity challenge could linger longer than usual. One signal we are watching closely is the spot market. If rates and volumes begin to ease, that could indicate a balancing of freight demand and route guide capacity.”