freight expenditures

February freight trends mixed, outlook ‘fraught with uncertainty’

February data from Cass Information Systems showed a claw back of what was lost to weather in January, but uncertainty overhangs an already sluggish freight market.

Freight volumes snapped back in February, up 10.5% from January, but remained pressured compared to last year, down 5.5% year over year. Normal seasonality, a recovery from harsh weather in January and shippers importing goods ahead of tariffs were cited as catalysts behind the latest sequential change.

February shipments increased...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/february-freight-trends-mixed-outlook-fraught-with-uncertainty

Freight volumes plunge in December, rates firming

December data from Cass Information Systems showed a significant drop in freight shipments as expenditures were off by a lesser amount, implying freight rates moved higher during the month. Truckload linehaul rates continued to improve from August’s cycle low, a Tuesday report revealed.

Freight volumes captured by the Cass Freight Index fell 7.3% from November and were off 6.5% year over year. Even excluding the typical November-to-December seasonal dip, the index was off 3.1%, which wiped away...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-volumes-plunge-in-december-rates-firming

November Cass data shows improvement

November data from Cass Information Systems showed sequential improvement in shipments and expenditures with the year-over-year declines narrowing.

The volumes component of the Cass Freight Index was up 0.5% from October (2.8% higher seasonally adjusted) and down just 0.7% y/y, the smallest decline in 21 months. A Thursday report credited “ongoing economic growth and slowing private fleet capacity additions” as the reasons for the improvement.

November 2024y/y2-yearm/mm/m (SA)
Shipments

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/november-cass-data-shows-improvement

Freight shipments, spend see no lift in October, Cass data shows

Freight shipments and spend were again under water in October, according to data from Cass Information Systems.

The shipments component of the Cass Freight Index fell 2.4% year over year during the month and was off 1.9% from September (down just 0.1% seasonally adjusted). October marked the second straight sequential decline for the dataset.

“Although goods demand growth is driving broad freight volume growth, as can be seen in intermodal, imports, and freight GDP, it is still not reaching the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-shipments-spend-see-no-lift-in-october-cass-data-shows

Cass notes ‘signs of price stabilization’ in soft September update

September data from Cass Information Systems showed “signs of price stabilization” even as volumes continued to reflect a soft demand environment.

The Cass Freight Index showed shipments fell 5.2% year over year during September and 2.6% from August when seasonally adjusted. The y/y decline was the largest since June, outpacing declines of just 1.9% in August and 1.1% in July, and worse than the forecast calling for the dataset to be down just 3% during the month.

The freight volume index is now...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cass-notes-signs-of-price-stabilization-in-soft-september-update

Freight spend, shipments soft again in August

August data from Cass Information Systems showed the freight market continues to trudge along what is expected to be a trough. Both shipments and freight spend stepped lower from year-ago levels.

Shipments captured by the Cass Freight Index fell 1.9% year over year in August, following a 1.1% y/y decline in July. The August result came in ahead of a projected decline of 3%.

“These were the smallest declines in 18 months as goods demand continues to grow slowly, and slowing capacity additions...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-spend-shipments-soft-again-in-august

July Cass data reflective of cycle bottom

Monthly freight data compiled by Cass Information Systems showed year-over-year declines in shipments and expenditures narrowed in July.

The shipments component of the Cass Freight Index was down just 1.1% y/y during the month, the smallest y/y decline in 17 months, and supports the view that the worst of this cycle has passed. The subindex bounced back from an unseasonally weak June report. July shipments captured by the dataset increased 3% from June (3.1% higher after seasonal adjustments).

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/july-cass-data-reflective-of-cycle-bottom

Cass data melts lower in June

June data from Cass Information Systems showed continued weakness in volumes and expenditures, with year-over-year declines largely mirroring the trends displayed in May.

Shipments captured by the Cass Freight Index fell 6% y/y in June and were off 1.8% from May, “amid ongoing softness in for-hire [truck] demand,” a Monday report compiling freight stats from several transportation modes said.

The shipments subindex fell to its lowest point since January despite June typically being a big month...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cass-data-melts-lower-in-june

Freight market pressured again in May, Cass data shows

Freight shipments and total freight spend remained under pressure again in May, according to data from Cass Information Systems.

Shipments in May were flat with April but down 5.8% year over year (y/y). The y/y decline was 1.8 percentage points more pronounced than in April, and when adjusting for seasonal trends, the shipments index was off 3.1% sequentially to a 46-month low.

The Monday report noted “ongoing softness in for-hire demand” as loads normally pegged for the for-hire market are being...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-markets-pressured-again-in-may-cass-data-shows

March freight metrics flat with February, Cass data shows

Freight shipments and expenditures in March were largely in line with February, underperforming normal seasonal trends, according to the Cass Freight Index published Monday. The year-over-year (y/y) declines in both data sets eased again during the month.

March shipments were down 2.3% seasonally adjusted from February and 3.6% from the same month last year. Without the seasonal adjustment, March volumes were down 0.2% sequentially. However, February did include one extra day this year.

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/march-freight-metrics-flat-with-february-cass-data-shows

+ More