Cass Freight Index Rises Little in September
The Cass Freight Index, a measure of shipping activity in trucking and other transportation modes, rose in September and expenditures increased, Cass Information Systems said.
Shipping increased 0.7% in September from the year before but declined 1.4% from August, Cass said.
“Other freight indicators have shown that shipment weights have been rising steadily, so a decrease in the actual number of shipments does not necessarily indicate a drop in freight activity. In a typical summer trend, the economy as a whole cooled in August and September,” Cass said in its report.
Freight expenditures increased 0.8% from August but rose 3.5% in September from last year.
“The freight industry continues to experience the strongest year since the recession ended, and while there are still headwinds, things should continue to improve for the industry. The rise in costs, especially related to labor, are pressing hard on rates and should break through in early 2015,” Cass said.
