Cass Information Systems

The ATA’s advanced Seaonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index for August—at 107.5 (2015=100)—was off 5.6%, from July, which was at 113.9, to August, following a 1.4% decrease, from June to July.

August shipments—at 1.099—were off 7.6% annually, improving over July’s 13.1% annual decrease, while rising 8% over July and expenditures—at 2.695—were down 5.1% compared to August 2019 and up 9.9% compared to July.

July shipments—at 1.018—were down 13.1% annually, faring better than June’s -17.8% annual spread, and up 4.8% compared to June, and expenditures—at 2.452—were down 14.3% annually and up 2.8% compared to June.

With minimal improvement off of dismal April readings, which were viewed as “recessionary,” the May edition of the Cass Freight Index, from Cass Information Systems, showed that the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on freight transportation shipments and expenditures remains intact.

March shipments—at 1.087—fell 9.2% annually and eked out a 0.2% increase compared to February, and expenditures——at 2.651—fell 8.2% annually and are down 1% compared to February.

January shipments—at 1.022—fell 9.4%, marking its largest annual decline going back to 2009, while also dropping 2.9% compared to December, and January expenditures—at 2.568—fell 8% annually and were down 5.7% compared to January 2019.

October shipments, at 1.152, were down 3.9% compared to September and down 5.9% annually, and October expenditures, at 2.800, dropped 1.9% compared to September and were down 4.1% annually.

September shipments, at 1.199, were up 0.8% compared to August and down 3.4% annually, and expenditures were off 4.5% annually and up 0.5% compared to August.

August shipments, at 1.190, were up 1.6% compared to July and down 3% annually, and expenditures, at 2.840, were up 0.7% compared to July and off 2.6% annually.

July shipments, at 1.171, were off 5.9% compared to a very strong July 2018 and down 0.8% compared to June. On the expenditures, side, the report noted that July came in at 2.861, which represented a 1.4% annual decline and a 2% decline compared to June.

Truckload pricing, which measure linehaul rates, increased 0.9% annually, to 135.9, in June, and intermodal pricing was up 3.9% in June, to 142.0.

June shipments, at 1.181, decreased 5.3% annually, marking the seventh consecutive month of shipments declines.

May shipments, at 1.128, slipped 6% annually and were down 2.8% compared to April. This marks the sixth consecutive month that annual shipments were down. Freight expenditures in May, at 2.845, were down 1.08% annually and down 2.2% compared to April.

Truckload rates, which measure linehaul rates, headed up 1.2% annually to 135.3 (January 2005=100), extending a stretch of gains going back to November 2017. On the intermodal side, total May intermodal pricing was up 4.2% annually, to 147.0, and down 1.9% compared to April.

Truckload rates, which measure linehaul rates, headed up 2.7% annually to 138.4 (January 2005=100), extending a stretch of gains going back to November 2017). This reading is in close range of the 144.2 set in December 2018. On the intermodal side, the report said that on the heels of hitting an all-time high of 151.9 in March, April’s reading dipped 1.4% to 149.8 while still growing 5.6% annually.