Contents:
Key Odyssey Network Indicators
Shipper Actions
In today’s competitive environment, becoming a preferred shipper to carriers can help improve attaining sufficient capacity. Things that shippers offer that help reach this status can include:
Accuracy:
Forecast for the end of month/end of quarter – plan for surges in your needs to ensure coverage
Develop order lead time – at least 5 days in advance. ask carriers for “best case” options
Specificity:
Request delivery windows from customers…often 8 a.m. deliveries are requested when product really is not need until much later. A window of 8-10 a.m. may have a better chance of coverage.
Spread delivery times across the day
Assess what your customers really need. Make sure that customer delivery requirements are up to date and accurate. Do not require equipment/assessorials that are not needed
Flexibility:
- Offer flexible load times
- Explore/ be open to mode options including intermodal
Driver-friendliness:
- Load/unload within the normal 2 hours-time is money to drivers
- Provide creature comforts (clean restrooms, rest areas, free Wi-Fi, a cup of coffee, etc.)
Consistency:
- Offer consistent volume that carriers can plan against
- Reduce order changes – a new date may put coverage at risk
Efficiency:
- Maximize payload on trucks
- Utilize trailer drop yards at high volume origins when possible
- Prioritize loading/unloading trucks quickly at facilities
Promptness:
- Pay carriers within their contracted freight terms- cash flow is vital to carriers
Economic Update
GDP Change
- Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2026 (April, May, and June), according to the second estimate released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In the first quarter, real GDP increased 2.1 percent.
- The contributors to the increase in real GDP in the second quarter were increases in consumer spending, exports, and investment that were partly offset by a decrease in government spending.
- Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.
Unemployment
https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-unemployment-rate.htm
- Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in August, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in food services and drinking places and in local government education.
- The information industry lost jobs.
- This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys.
- The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics.
- The establishment survey measures non-farm employment, hours, and earnings by industry.
Household Survey Data
- The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent in August, and the number of unemployed people changed little at 7.0 million. Both measures changed little over the year.
- Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for people who are Asian declined to 3.2 percent in August. The rate for teenagers edged up to 14.1 percent over the month, mostly offsetting a decline in the prior month. The jobless rates for adult men (4.0 percent), adult women (3.5 percent), and people who are White (3.7 percent), Black (6.0 percent), or Hispanic (4.8 percent) showed little change in August.
- The labor force participation rate edged up to 61.6 percent in August but is down by 0.5 percentage point since January. The employment-population ratio, at 59.1 percent, changed little over the month and since January.
- The number of people employed part time for economic reasons decreased by 414,000 to 4.4 million in August. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part-time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.
- In August, the number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job changed little at 5.7 million. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job.
Establishment Survey Data
- Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 162,000 in August, higher than the average monthly gain of 31,000 over the prior 12 months. In August, employment increased in food services and drinking places and in local government education. The information industry lost jobs.
- Employment in health care continued to trend up in August (+13,000) but at a slower pace than the average monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+32,000). Over the month, home health care services (+11,000) and hospitals (+8,000) added jobs.
- Employment in food services and drinking places increased by 59,000 in August, well above the average monthly gain of 12,000 over the prior 12 months.
- Local government education added 42,000 jobs in August, largely offsetting a decrease in the prior month. Local government education has shown little net change since January 2025.
- In August, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 10 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $37.75. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.1 percent. In August, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 11 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $32.53.
- Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; wholesale trade; retail trade; transportation and warehousing; financial activities; professional and business services; social assistance; and other services.
- The average workweek for all employees on private non-farm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to 34.4 hours in August. In manufacturing, the average workweek edged up by 0.1 hour to 40.5 hours, and overtime was unchanged at 3.1 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private non-farm payrolls remained at 33.8 hours.
U.S. Truck Transportation Employment
Manufactured Goods – New Orders
https://www.census.gov/manufacturing/m3/current/index.html
Monthly Full Report on Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, & Orders
(Released September 2nd, 2026)
- New orders for manufactured goods in July, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $5.8 billion or 0.9 percent to $663.6 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 0.2 percent June decrease.
- Shipments, up nine of the last ten months, increased $5.3 billion or 0.8 percent to $658.8 billion. This followed a virtually unchanged June increase.
- Unfilled orders, up twenty-four of the last twenty-five months, increased $9.9 billion or 0.6 percent to $1,600.3 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent June increase.
- The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.81, down from 6.84 in June. Inventories, up ten consecutive months, increased $3.5 billion or 0.4 percent to $966.9 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent June increase.
- The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.47, unchanged from June.
Transportation Update
Fuel
https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/?os=frefapp
The national average price of diesel for the week of August 31 stood at $5.59 per gallon, an increase of 0.28 cents from four weeks prior at the end of July and up $1.89 from a year ago.
Transportation Capacity
- The Transportation Capacity Index jumped 11.6 points to 40.0 in August 2026.
- The Transportation Capacity index continues to indicate contraction for the ninth consecutive month. While the Upstream Transportation Capacity index is at 37.9, the Downstream index is at 45.5, but the difference is not statistically significant. As such, it can be concluded that the contraction observed in Transportation Capacity remains relatively uniformly distributed across the US economy.
- The future Transportation Capacity index also increased 2.6 points and now indicates 43.0, representing continued expectations of slight capacity contraction for the next 12 months. While the future Upstream index is at 38.6.0, the Downstream Transportation Capacity index is at 54.5, and the difference is statistically significant.
- As such, expectations of contraction in future Transportation Capacity are present Upstream while Downstream companies expect light expansion in Transportation Capacity over the next 12 months.
Transportation Prices
August 2026 Logistics Managers’ Index – LOGISTICS MANAGERS’ INDEX
- The Transportation Prices Index increased 3.1 points from the previous reading and recorded 90.0 in August 2026. With this increase the Transportation Prices Index has rebounded from its recent retreat and is back to historically elevated levels.
- The Transportation Prices Index is at 88.8, the Downstream index is at 93.2 but the difference is not statistically significant. As such, it can be concluded that the inflationary pressure on Transportation Prices is still being felt extremely strongly across the US economy, both Downstream than Upstream.
- The future index for Transportation Prices decreased (-3.1) to 86.1 but it continues to represent strong expectations of price increases for the next 12 months. The Upstream future Transportation Prices index is at 88.6 while the Downstream Transportation Prices index is at 79.5, but the difference is not statistically significant. Therefore, inflationary expectations in Transportation Prices remain strong across the US supply chains, both Upstream and Downstream.
Cass Freight & Truckload Index
Uncertainty Reigns
Source: Cass Information Systems, Inc.
Cass Transportation Index Report | August 2026 | Cass Information Systems
Cass Transportation Index Report | August 2026 | Cass Information Systems
The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index is a measure of market fluctuations in per-mile truckload linehaul rates, independent of additional cost components such as fuel and accessorials.
The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index rose to 153.9 in August, up 0.7% m/m and up 11.3% y/y.
- The sequential increase is in line with expectations and as indicated by the spot market. Even as spot rates slow with modest sequential declines, the much larger contract market is adjusting higher.
- This index reflects the whole for-hire truckload market, both spot and contract rates.
The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index fell 10% in 2023, another 3.4% in 2024, and turned up to a 1.8% increase in 2025. In 2026, with no further change, the index is on pace for a 7% increase.
Truck Tonnage Index
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 1% in July
From the American Trucking Associations (ATA) on August 18, 2026:
- In July, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 113.5, down from 114.7 in June. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, decreased 0.5% from the same month in 2025, which was worse than June’s 1.2% gain. Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2025, tonnage is up 1.4% due to robust year-over-year increases from February through April.
- The not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, equaled 117 in July, 0.9% below June’s reading of 118.
- Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing 72.7% of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024.* Motor carriers collected $906 billion, or 76.9% of total revenue earned by all transport modes.
- Both indices are dominated by contract freight, as opposed to traditional spot market freight. The tonnage index is calculated on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. This is a preliminary figure and subject to change in the final report issued around the 5th day of each month. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons, and key financial indicators.
National Spot Rates
Source: DAT Analytics | https://www.dat.com/trendlines
The chart above depicts national average rates (including fuel surcharges) in the past 13 months, derived from DAT RateView.
