For the fourth time in the past five months the freight index rose faster than the capacity index, according to the most recent ACT For-Hire Trucking Index from ACT Research Co., LLC (ACT). While the changes remain small, the data suggest that excess equipment additions relative to freight growth have come to an end, and the process of rebalancing capacity and freight is underway.

Reported purchasing intentions data showed a sharp drop in September, falling to their lowest level since February, 2010. Over the last four years an average of almost 60% of respondents have reported plans to purchase in a three-month window. In September, that number fell to 30%. Though the trend has been falling for the past seven months, the September reading may be an anomaly.

ACT is the worldwide leading publisher of new and used commercial vehicle (CV) industry data, market analysis and forecasting services for the North American market, as well as the U.S. tractor-trailer market and the China CV market. ACT’s CV services are used by all major North American truck and trailer manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as the banking and investment community in North America, Europe and China. For more information on ACT, please visit http://www.actresearch.net.