What happened
Cass Information Systems reported on Sept. 14 that its August Freight Index shipments component rose 2.1% year over year and 5.6% from July, or 5.0% after seasonal adjustment. It was the first annual gain since January 2023 and ended a record 42-month downturn by this measure. The Truckload Linehaul Index reached 153.9, up 11.3% year over year and 0.7% month over month. That index covers both spot and contract freight and excludes fuel and accessorial charges.
What drivers should do
The expenditures index, which includes fuel, rose 18.7% year over year and 5.8% from July. Cass itself cautioned that the shipment rebound largely offsets recent declines and should not yet be called a major improvement in demand. The shipment index also includes multiple domestic modes: truckload represents more than half of the dataset and less-than-truckload about one quarter. These national averages are market signals—not a guaranteed quote, driver paycheck or profit level for a specific lane, trailer type or carrier.
Why this matters to our community
Before accepting a load, compare current quotes and your own lane history. Require a written rate confirmation that separates linehaul, fuel surcharge and accessorials such as detention, layover, truck ordered not used, lumper and toll reimbursement. Calculate revenue per loaded mile and per total mile including deadhead, then subtract fuel at your actual MPG, insurance, maintenance reserve, truck payment and dispatch or factoring fees. Company drivers and lease operators should compare promised pay with the settlement statement. Useful English terms include year over year, month over month, seasonally adjusted, linehaul, spot rate, contract rate, accessorial, fuel surcharge and total miles.