Tallies, totals and other trend data in the freight transportation realm (8/20/2026)
8/20/2026
-5.4
Market conditions in June continued to be unfavorable for shippers, but "much less so than they have been for months," according to FTR. The firm’s Shippers Conditions Index for June improved by 10 points to -5.4, the least negative index reading since January, FTR officials said on Aug. 14. The main factors: falling diesel prices — "a situation that obviously reversed during July" — and stabilizing freight rates, they added.
0 to 90
"The new 'service date of final decision' (gotta love lawyers) is 0-90 days after 'Close of Record, date TBD, which follows Final Briefs due date of May 28, 2027. So, without knowing the gap between briefs due date and close of record, it suggests a Q3/27 resolution date. Now if you'd taken the 'Bet the Over' strategy when the merger proposal was announced and the Applicants' 'Shock & Awe' strategy initiated, you'd be rich. If you'd doubled down after last week, maybe not so much. But remember, the STB can call time outs for information requests, IMHO, perhaps after the Hearings (TBD). Q4/27 and early 2028 odds have gotten longer, but the bet isn't closed out." — independent transportation analyst Tony Hatch in an Aug. 19 message to his clients following the STB's Aug. 18 decision to remove the UP-NS merger proceeding from abeyance and adopt a procedural schedule for the consideration of the revised merger application.
3
"Now the 'Gang of 4' Class Is [opposing the UP-NS merger] is the 'Gang of 3' — is it enough? Remember, CN is 'not opposing' and 'not supporting' ..." — from a slide in independent transportation analyst Tony Hatch's presentation during “The UP-NS Supplemental Filing: A Virtual Salon,” which was held Aug. 12
4.8
The shipments component of the Cass Freight Index® fell 4.8% year over year in July after a 4.1% drop in June, Cass Information Systems Inc. reported on Aug. 17. "Some of the softness is the result of higher fuel prices, but to a large extent, volumes are still soft because capacity is declining," Cass officials said. "The Cass data are trucking intensive, among other modes, but rail intermodal is gaining share from trucking this year, also pressuring this index." The normal seasonal trend would put the shipments component down about 3% year-over-year in August, they added.
10.3
The Port of Oakland handled 181,356 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in June, a 7.7% increase compared with the same 2025 period, the port announced on July 17. The increase was driven by "solid growth" in both imports and exports, with loaded container cargo rising 10.3% year over year, officials said. Full imports reached 78,114 TEUs in June, up 11.1% year over year, while full exports increased 9.3% to 65,140 TEUs. Empty container volume declined 1.1% to 38,102 TEUs.
17.1
Although FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for June "eased" to 17.1 from May’s record 20.4 reading, it continued to reflect "a very favorable market for carriers," FTR officials said on Aug. 10. Said FTR Vice President of Trucking: “We expect the market to be favorable for carriers throughout our two-year forecast horizon, but the recovery appears to be stabilizing. For example, spot rates in July softened as seasonally expected even though fuel prices rose sharply — quite a different dynamic than what occurred in March. Even if spot rates have peaked, contract rates likely will continue to rise well into 2027."
21 & 29
On Aug. 5, the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis and St. Louis Regional Freightway hosted a freight-rail tour to highlight the region's freight-rail network and its role in connecting manufacturers, distributors and logistics providers to national and global markets. The tour also detailed investment needs and opportunities for freight rail and associated roads and bridges in the network. “Over the last several years, we've moved the needle on infrastructure investment because industry leaders across the region identified priority projects early and advocated for them years before the funding opportunities existed,” said Mary Lamie, EVP of multimodal enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway. Sites also must be developer-ready, said Lamie, whose organization helped compile a list of 21 locations featuring 29 sites with rail potential ready for development.
65
On Aug. 10, intermodal pioneer J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. celebrated its 65th anniversary by ringing the Nasdaq Opening Bell. Founded in 1961 by J.B. and Johnelle Hunt, the company has expanded from its trucking roots to develop a broad portfolio of transportation and logistics capabilities, and annual revenue of about $13 billion.
101.3
On Aug. 17, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) released the latest reading of its Intermodal Volume Index, a measure of North American intermodal freight activity. The August 2026 estimate of 101.3 is a month-over-month decline from July, which IANA forecasts to come in at 104.1, but maintains year-over-year growth. "Although this month's forecast carries a bit more uncertainty, we're seeing no reason for any near-term reversal of the positive trend we've seen this year," said Andrew Sibold, IANA's director of economics.
55.8 million
During the second quarter, the Port of Corpus Christi handled 55.8 million tons of commodities, the highest for a quarter in the port's history. The total surpassed the previous quarter high of 54.5 million tons set in Q1 2026, port officials said on July 14. The first six months of 2026 also marked the busiest in the port's history, with customers moving 110.3 million tons of commodities through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, an increase of 7.7% over the previous record first-half total of 102.4 million tons recorded during the same 2025 period.