Overall, freight seems to be trending upward, but a noticeably slow June was cause for concern among some industry analysts. It wasn’t that the numbers fell below 2007 numbers, but because they typically spike in the summer. In some ways, this flattening could be part of the economic rebound cycle, indicating a slight setback before accelerating to a new cycle high. Another reason might be the impact of lean inventories as shipper continue to be cautious of replenishing them.

While truck freight volumes continue to strengthen, the pace noticeably slackened in June, causing concern among some industry analysts. According to Jon Langenfeld, associate director of research at Robert W. Baird & Co., though absolute freight volumes remained solid in June, above 2007 levels, trends notably flattened as well during a month that typically experiences a spike in spot demand.

“The nature of spot market activity typically garners more incremental, unplanned freight [so] a flattening trend reflects a potential cautionary sign for freight growth and the economy,” he said in Baird’s monthly “Freight Flows” research brief.

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