A leading-indicator for domestic trucking demand. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes the Freight Services Index monthly; the truck subindex tracks for-hire trucking output.
Trend (3-month)
Contracting
Direction of last 3 months
Source: TruckRadar composite
The truck subindex is chained to 2000 = 100. A reading above 100 indicates more for-hire trucking activity than in the base year. More importantly, month-over-month changes are a leading indicator for spot rates and truck order cycles. The latest trajectory is contracting.
As of the data point for 2026-01-01, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics truck Freight Transportation Services Index reads 136.4, down 0.3% year over year. The 3-month trajectory is contracting, a signal that for-hire trucking demand is softening. Because directional moves in this index historically lead DAT spot-rate prints by roughly 30–60 days, fleet managers use it to time contract-lane bids, equipment purchases, and driver recruiting. Dealers read it as a forward signal for used-truck residual value pressure.
Capacity signal
Class 8 truck orders →
Monthly ACT/FTR net orders and backlog commentary.
Composite view
Market Outlook & Temperature →
Monthly read across diesel, freight, housing, and employment.
The FTS Index is a chained index that measures the month-to-month changes in the output of for-hire freight transportation. The truck subindex isolates domestic for-hire trucking activity, excluding private fleets. A rising index indicates expanding freight demand.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes the FTS Index monthly, with a roughly two-month lag. TruckRadar.AI sources the truck subindex via the FRED mirror series TSIFRGHT and refreshes at least once per month.
A sustained three-month rise in the truck subindex historically precedes a tightening of truckload capacity and rate firmness. A sustained decline typically signals softening spot-market rates and falling fuel surcharges.
Directional moves in the truck subindex lead DAT and Truckstop spot-rate prints by roughly 30–60 days. When the index trends upward for three consecutive months, dry van and reefer spot rates typically follow with a lag. Brokers and carriers use this timing advantage to lock in contract lanes or hold spot exposure.
The full BTS Freight Transportation Services Index runs from January 2000 to the latest release. TruckRadar.AI displays the trailing 24 months; the complete archive is downloadable from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the FRED mirror series TSIFRGHT.