FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index rose in August to 2.9 from the 0.5 reading in July due to falling fuel costs and weaker freight rates. Factors that tend to have a more indirect impact on shippers – freight volume and capacity utilization – were nearly neutral contributors during the month.

“A shipper-friendly market is hanging on, and we see few clear signs that the situation will change much soon. Our outlook is for a more neutral environment in 2025, but we do not see much on the horizon that will make for more than just a marginally unfavorable market for shippers overall," said Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking.

The FTR Shippers Conditions Index represents four major conditions in the U.S. full-load freight market. THe metrics are combined into a single index that tracks the market conditions that influence a shipper's freight transportation environment.