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 advance 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, investment, and exports 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
- Both non-farm payroll employment (-23,000) and the unemployment rate (4.1 percent) changed little in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment declined in local government education and retail trade.
- Employment continued to trend up in health care.
- 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
- Both the unemployment rate, at 4.1 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 6.9 million, changed little in July. These measures also changed little over the year.
- Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for teenagers (12.1 percent) and people who are Hispanic (4.6 percent) declined in July. The jobless rates for adult men (3.9 percent), adult women (3.7 percent), and people who are White (3.6 percent), Black (6.3 percent), or Asian (4.0 percent) showed little or no change over the month.
- Both the labor force participation rate, at 61.4 percent, and the employment-population ratio, at 58.9 percent, changed little in July. Since January, the labor force participation rate declined by 0.7 percentage point, and the employment-population ratio decreased by 0.5 percentage point.
- The number of people employed part time for economic reasons changed little at 4.8 million in July. 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 July, the number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job changed little at 5.9 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 changed little in July (-23,000), following an average monthly gain of 34,000 over the prior 12 months. In July, employment declined in local government education and retail trade. Employment continued to trend up in health care.
- In July, employment in health care continued its upward trend (+22,000) but at a slower pace than the average monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+36,000). Employment in ambulatory health care services continued to trend up over the month (+18,000).
- Employment in financial activities continued to trend down in July (-14,000), reflecting losses in credit intermediation and related activities (-9,000) and insurance carriers and related activities (-7,000). Financial activities employment is down by 121,000 since a recent peak in May 2025.
- In July, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, at $37.62, were little changed (+2 cents). Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.2 percent. In July, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees, at $32.40, were little changed (+4 cents).
- Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; information; professional and business services; social assistance; leisure and hospitality; and other services.
- The average workweek for all employees on private non-farm payrolls was unchanged at 34.3 hours in July. In manufacturing, the average workweek was also unchanged at 40.4 hours, and overtime edged down by 0.1 hour to 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 August 4th, 2026)
- New orders for manufactured goods in June, down two consecutive months, decreased $2.3 billion or 0.3 percent to $656.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 1.1 percent May decrease.
- Shipments, down following six consecutive monthly increases, decreased $1.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $652.1 billion. This followed a 1.6 percent May increase.
- Unfilled orders, up twenty-three of the last twenty-four months, increased $9.6 billion or 0.6 percent to $1,590.6 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent May increase.
- The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.86, down from 6.90 in May. Inventories, up nine consecutive months, increased $0.9 billion or 0.1 percent to $962.9 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent May increase.
- The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.48, up from 1.47 in May.
Transportation Update
Fuel
https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/?os=frefapp
The national average price of diesel for the week of July 27 stood at $5.31 per gallon, an increase of 0.65 cents from four weeks prior at the end of June and up $1.5 from a year ago.
Transportation Capacity
- The Transportation Capacity Index dropped 2.4 points to 28.4 percent in July 2026.
- With this decrease the Transportation Capacity index continues to indicate contraction for the eight consecutive months and returns to the lowest level recorded in the last six years. While the Upstream Transportation Capacity index is at 26.6, the Downstream index is at 33.3, and the difference is not statistically significant. Hence, the contraction observed in Transportation Capacity remains relatively uniformly distributed across the US economy.
- The future Transportation Capacity index also decreased 2 points and now indicates 40.4, representing continued expectations of capacity contraction for the next 12 months. While the future Upstream index is at 39.0, the Downstream Transportation Capacity index is at 45.0, and the difference is not statistically significant.
- As such, expectations of slight contraction in future Transportation Capacity remain relatively uniformly distributed both Upstream and Downstream across the US economy.
Transportation Prices
July 2026 Logistics Managers’ Index – LOGISTICS MANAGERS’ INDEX
- The Transportation Prices Index decreased 5.5 points from the previous reading and recorded 86.9 in July 2026. With this decrease the Transportation Prices Index has continued its retreat from record highs, but still relatively elevated.
- The Upstream Transportation Prices Index is at 88.6, the Downstream index is at 81.7, but the difference is not statistically significant. As such, it can be concluded that the inflationary pressure on Transportation Prices is still being felt across the US economy, both Downstream than Upstream.
- The future index for Transportation Prices increased 2.2 points, indicating 89.2 and representing strong expectations of price increases for the next 12 months. The Upstream future Transportation Prices index is at 91.1 while the Downstream Transportation Prices index is at 83.3, 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 | July 2026 | Cass Information Systems
Cass Transportation Index Report | July 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 152.9 in July, up 2.3% m/m and up 8.6% y/y.
- After a surprising 0.9% y/y decline in June, the sequential increase is greater than normal, and considering spot activity, further increases should be expected.
- These shipper-sourced rates are not taking off like some leading spot indicators, but should provide a perspective consistent with the broader truckload market, which is still mostly contract. In Q2, we (ACT Research) estimate similar rates at the publicly traded truckload fleets rose 8.7% y/y.
- 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.
Truck Tonnage Index
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
ATA Truck Tonnage Index Rose 0.1% in June
From the American Trucking Associations (ATA) on July 21, 2026:
- In June, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 113.1. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, decreased 0.1% from the same month in 2025, which was better than May’s 0.7% drop. During the first half of the year, tonnage was up 1.4% from the same period last year thanks to strength in the first quarter. In 2025, the tonnage index was flat compared to the 2024 average.
- The not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, equaled 116.5 in June, 2.7% above May’s reading of 113.4.
- 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.
