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Freight volume is the highest in over a decade: Cass Shipment Index

Source: Cass Shipment Index (CFIS.USA) on SONAR  

2018 is shaping up to be the highest freight volume market in over a decade according to the Cass Freight Index (CFIS.USA) on SONAR. The index is currently showing 1.31, up from 1.17 a year ago. The 12% increase is a reflection of strong volumes in the industry and the pricing strength is not a reflection of a declining number of trucks.  

This is a great sign for carriers moving into the second half of 2018, as conditions should remain tight as the economy continues the momentum going into the third and fourth quarters.

The Cass Freight Index for Shipments is an index representing the volume of shipments in a given month from the entire Cass client base. This is indexed against a January 1990 base point of 1.00. Larger values indicate more shipments are occurring, while smaller values mean fewer are moving.

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Zach Strickland, FW Market Expert & Market Analyst

Zach Strickland, the “Sultan of SONAR,” curates the weekly market update. Zach is also one of FreightWaves’ Market Experts. With a degree in Finance, Strickland spent the early part of his career in banking before transitioning to transportation in various roles and segments, such as truckload and LTL. He has over 13 years of transportation experience, specializing in data, pricing, and analytics.