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According to ACT Research’s (ACT) latest State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Report, Class 8 market-leading indicators continue to erode, in concert with deteriorating freight volumes and rates, even as mid and downstream data points remain robust.

Topics: freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping, Classes 5-8, Economy, Press Releases

ACT Research released the August installment of the ACT Freight Forecast, U.S. Rate and Volume OUTLOOK report covering the truckload, intermodal, LTL and last mile sectors.

Topics: freight, freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping, Classes 5-8, Economy, Press Releases

Preliminary North America Class 8 net order data show the industry booked 10,200 units in July, down 21% from June and the lowest monthly order tally since February 2010. Note that these numbers are preliminary. Complete industry data for July, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-August.

Topics: freight, freight rate, Classes 5-8, Economy, Press Releases

The latest release of ACT’s For-Hire Trucking Index, June data, showed nearly across-the-board declines, with capacity again the lone exception. The Volume Index dropped further into negative territory, falling to 43.2 (SA) in June, from 46.7 in May. The June Pricing Index, at 43.8 (SA), recovered a good bit of last month’s sharp decline, up from 38.8 in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, the lowest in survey history.

Topics: freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping, ACT For-Hire Trucking Index, Classes 5-8, Press Releases

ACT Research released the July installment of the ACT Freight Forecast, U.S. Rate and Volume OUTLOOK covering the truckload, intermodal, LTL and last mile sectors.

Topics: freight, freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping, Press Releases

According to ACT Research’s (ACT) latest release of the North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK, current Class 8 build rates may suggest upside to the 2019 forecast, but large new inventories and deteriorating freight and rate conditions suggest erring on the side of caution remains the right call.

Topics: freight rate, transportation, Trailers, Classes 5-8, Economy, NA CV OUTLOOK, Press Releases, Regulations

Preliminary North America Class 8 net order data show the industry booked 13,100 units in June, gaining 20% from May’s three-year low, but down a significant 69% from year-ago June’s very tough comparison. Note that these numbers are preliminary. Complete industry data for June, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-July.

Topics: freight rate, transportation, Classes 5-8, Press Releases

Demand - Supply = Price.

Topics: freight, freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping

ACT has been involved in the freight sector for decades, but for the past year we have been investing time and energy in developing the ACT's Freight Forecast report. The report analyzes data from around the freight sector, focusing on the links between the equipment manufacturing side of the equation and freight rates. The report is for any transportation stakeholder who needs to understand where rates are heading, when and why. With help from all members of the ACT team, we have built a model that forecasts the future of freight rates using ACT's historical data on truck production, our TL and LTL Carrier databases, as well as key leading indicators developed for this report. 

The report addresses the truckload, less-than-truckload and intermodal sectors of the freight market, all targeted at understanding of future rates. As the report has been developed, we've tested and refined the outputs to provide the best possible information to help businesses make informed decisions. Over the past year we’ve built a freight model using several regression and population models all working together, which drives our contract rate and volume forecasts. For our spot rate forecasts though, we use a separate model based on our Spot Leading Indicator, which was developed over a year ago.

1. February 2018 Outlook Report: “Did the spot market just peak? Spot Leading Indicator predicts 25%-30% y/y increases through March/April, down from 31% in February and 32% in January.”

Topics: freight, freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping

The historical truckload cycle gives insights into the current truckload environment and what to anticipate as we measure demand and supply of the freight market.

The Classic Cycle of the U.S. Truckload Sector

Topics: freight, freight forecast, freight rate, transportation, logistics, shipping