FTR Trucking Conditions Index shows modest gains

The new edition of the Trucking Conditions Index, which was recently released by freight transportation consultancy FTR, showed continued signs of improvement, while still falling short of growth.

According to FTR, a TCI reading above zero represents an adequate trucking environment, with readings above 10 indicating that volumes, prices and margin are in a good range for carriers.

And it explained that the TCI tracks the changes representing five major conditions in the U.S. truck market. These conditions include: freight volumes, freight rates, fleet capacity, fuel prices, and financing costs. Individual metrics are combined into a single index indicating the industry’s overall health. A positive score represents good, optimistic conditions. And a negative score represents bad, pessimistic conditions. Readings near zero are consistent with a neutral operating environment, and double-digit readings in either direction suggest significant operating changes are likely.

For August, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI reading, at 0.3, marked an improvement over July’s -1.03, with FTR calling August’s reading “neutral.” The July TCI reading fared better than June’s -1,83, the lowest in 2025.

FTR said that August’s improvement was paced by less challenging freight rates, adding that utilization was the most positive factor, but it was not at a strong rate. It also observed that with the TCI’s near-term outlook in similar range as August’s 0.3 reading, its current forecast calls for improved market conditions in 2026 and 2027.

“The potential for a capacity-driven recovery in trucking has risen over the past month due to severe restrictions imposed on issuing and renewing commercial driver’s licenses for foreign drivers.,” said FTR Vice President of Trucking Avery Vise. “However, despite some anecdotal reports about various effects of a crackdown on immigrant drivers, available data has yet to show a substantial impact on market conditions. We expect pressure on foreign drivers to be a significant factor for capacity in the coming months, but many questions remain about the scope and speed of the effects of tighter CDL and English language enforcement on the truck freight market.”