Sep 21, 2009 2:56 PM

The FTR Trucking Conditions Index ticked up slightly in August 2009, but at a reading of –20.18 still remains well below a neutral reading of 0. The index, a measurement of five conditions affecting truckers, while showing modest improvement from its low reading of –28.80 in March, is expected to remain well below normal levels until freight growth takes off in the second half of 2010.

Eric Starks, president of FTR, characterized the current index reading as less than positive. “Even though the TCI is trending upward, real acceleration of the index must await a substantial recovery in capacity utilization that we don’t expect until 2011,” he said.

The Trucking Conditions Index combines five trucking industry statistics into one metric measuring the overall health of the trucking industry and appears in the monthly FTR publication The Trucker’s Dashboard. FTR introduced the publication in December 2008 to give freight companies a quick look at freight trends, industry capacity, trucking costs, driver supply, and other factors affecting their operations. FTR uses available data and proprietary calculations to forecast the upcoming demand for freight services.