Monthly diffusion index of US logistics activity, produced by the academic consortium at Arizona State, Colorado State, Rutgers, the University of Nevada Reno, and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Readings above 50 signal expansion; below 50, contraction.
Overall LMI
58.9
▲ 0.5 MoM
Reading for 2026-04
Source: Logistics Managers' Index (ASU / CSCMP / Rutgers / CSU / UNR)
Transportation Prices
70.3
Component (>50 = rising)
Source: Logistics Managers' Index (ASU / CSCMP / Rutgers / CSU / UNR)
Transportation Capacity
47.9
Component (<50 = tightening)
Source: Logistics Managers' Index (ASU / CSCMP / Rutgers / CSU / UNR)
The Logistics Managers' Index is a monthly diffusion survey of US logistics executives, produced by researchers at Arizona State, Colorado State, Rutgers, the University of Nevada Reno, and CSCMP. The overall index aggregates eight components across transportation, inventory, and warehousing, each scored on a zero-to-one-hundred diffusion scale where fifty is neutral. Fleets and brokers use the transportation components as an early read on spot-rate direction, and dealers watch the composite as a sentiment check against Cass and BTS freight data. The 2026-04 overall LMI reads 58.9, which is expanding and up 0.1 points year over year. Transportation Prices at 70.3 paired with Transportation Capacity at 47.9 defines the current rate-direction setup for truckload fleets.
Realized activity
Cass Freight Index →
Monthly shipments and expenditures from Cass payments data.
Government series
BTS Freight Services Index →
Monthly BTS truck subindex for for-hire trucking.
The Logistics Managers' Index (LMI) is a monthly diffusion index produced by a consortium of researchers at Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Rutgers, the University of Nevada Reno, and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). It surveys US logistics executives on transportation prices, transportation capacity, transportation utilization, inventory levels, inventory costs, warehousing capacity, warehousing utilization, and warehousing prices.
The LMI is a diffusion index centered on 50. Any reading above 50 signals expansion in that component; below 50 signals contraction. The further from 50, the faster the rate of change. The overall LMI is a weighted composite of the eight components.
The consortium publishes the LMI on the first Tuesday of each month, covering the prior month's survey responses. TruckRadar.AI refreshes this page within the same week as the official release.
Transportation Prices, Transportation Capacity, and Transportation Utilization together paint a real-time picture of the truckload market. Rising Prices with falling Capacity is the classic tightening signal and typically precedes spot-rate increases. Sustained sub-50 Capacity readings indicate active truckload undersupply.
Cass is based on actual freight payments processed by Cass Information Systems, so it measures realized activity. The LMI is survey-based and forward-looking, with respondents reporting whether conditions are expanding or contracting. Analysts use both together: Cass for realized demand, LMI for sentiment and components not visible in the payment data.
Persistent Transportation Prices above 60 combined with Transportation Capacity below 50 tends to coincide with used-truck value inflection points, because carriers begin ordering and fleets begin replacing older equipment. Dealers use the LMI as an early signal alongside the Cass index and BTS Freight Services Index.