Cass Freight Index (USA)

Monthly US freight index based on actual shipment data from Cass customers.

Freight-market indices deliver orientation in an otherwise opaque market. They help procurement, sales and finance teams benchmark prices, index contracts and spot trends early.

Two sub-indices: Shipments (volume) and Expenditures (total spend). Key US macro indicator.

Every freight-market index has its peculiarities. Never blindly compare two indices — check the data basis (spot vs. contract, actual transactions vs. quotes), weighting and timeliness to draw meaningful conclusions. For spot indices volatility is key: high swings signal capacity crunches or disruptions.

Use the index as a benchmark in tenders, for rate-procurement strategies, as the basis for index-linked contracts and as a leading indicator of capacity or demand shifts. Combine with bunker prices, capacity reports, order-book data and political risk for a holistic view.

In budget planning index-based rate forecasts significantly improve accuracy. Many shippers now run hybrid contracts: a fixed baseline plus an index-linked add-on that fairly splits risk between shipper and carrier.