FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for November rebounded by more than two and a half points from October to a reading of 5.84, according to the latest data released by FTR Transportation Intelligence.
The improvement was due primarily to a slightly firmer rate environment and lower diesel prices. The 2018 November TCI was basically unchanged from a year ago, in spite of the volatility affecting the index over the past twelve months. The future outlook for the index is generally a more stable path in 2019 culminating in a near neutral reading by mid-year.
Details of the November TCI are found in the January issue of FTR’s Trucking Update, published in late December. The ‘Notes by the Dashboard Light’ section in the current issue reviews new orders to analyze the future durability of the manufacturing sector. Along with the TCI and ‘Notes by the Dashboard Light,’ the Trucking Update includes data and analysis on load volumes, the capacity environment, rates, costs, and the truck driver situation.
“We would anticipate that trucking conditions will be relatively stable through the first quarter of 2019 and perhaps a bit beyond that, but the second half of the year should be noticeably weaker due to factors such as lower active truck utilization and increased cost of capital," said Avery Vise, vice president of trucking for FTR. "At this point we expect trucking conditions still to be slightly positive by the end of the year, although the downside risks clearly seem greater than the upside.”
