NASHVILLE, Ind. -- Trucking conditions in the US are improving, but still remain below ‘neutral,’ according to the latest Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) by FTR Associates.
The industry forecaster provides a monthly index of overall industry health based on five key trucking industry statistics. A neutral reading is zero.
In October, the FTR index read -16.4, marking the highest reading since November 2008 and the third consecutive month of gains, however still anchored in negative territory.
“The continued negative TCI reading is a clear sign that the transportation industry is still struggling from the steep downturn seen late last year and into 2009,” said FTR president Eric Starks. “Real acceleration in the trucking fundamentals that we track for this index will likely wait for a substantial recovery in volumes and capacity utilization which we don’t expect to occur for at least another year.”