FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index for June fell to -3.6 as shippers faced their toughest market conditions in three years. A big element contributing to the decline was the spike in fuel prices due to the now-eased tensions with Iran. Fuel volatility aside, the market looks basically neutral for shippers in the near term, according to FTR.

June's index was down from -0.9 in May and 0.3 a year ago. It was the third consecutive month of negative scores.

“The freight market still looks soft well into next year but not quite as soft as it did a month ago. While that’s not great news for shippers, it’s not really bad news, either," said Avery Vise, FTR’s Vice President of Trucking. "Still, the range of possibilities remains broad due to an uncertain impact from recent tariff hikes potentially offset by a boost in activity due to lower financing costs and July’s enactment of tax cuts. Another wild card is capacity, which has been surprisingly resilient but might not be able to withstand rising insurance costs and other cost and regulatory pressures.”

This index represents four major conditions in the U.S. full-load freight market. These metrics are combined into a single index that tracks the market conditions that influence a shipper's freight transportation environment.