Monday, June 15, 2026 at 04:28 PM
Original source
FreightWaves
MacroLab briefing generated by AI for informational purposes. Original reporting by FreightWaves. Not financial advice.
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Cass Information Systems, a company that tracks freight movement across the U.S., released data on Monday showing that trucking rates (the prices charged to move goods by truck) jumped again in May. Based on this data, Cass predicts that the volume of freight shipments, which has been sluggish, will pick up noticeably in the second half of 2025. In other words, more stuff will be moving on trucks starting around July.
Freight movement is a bellwether, meaning it signals what the broader economy is about to do. When trucking companies are busy and raising their rates, it usually means businesses are ordering more products and consumers are buying more things. If freight volume really does rebound in the second half of the year, it would suggest the economy is accelerating, which could affect everything from job creation to inflation to whether the Federal Reserve raises or lowers interest rates. Right now, business is slower than normal, so any real pickup would be meaningful news for workers and people with savings or mortgages.
Watch whether actual freight volumes in the coming months match what Cass is predicting. Look for reports on trucking company earnings and whether they say they are getting more orders. Pay attention to shipment numbers in June, July, and August specifically. If volumes stay flat or decline instead of rebounding, it would mean the economy is weaker than expected. Conversely, if volumes surge as predicted, that's a green light that demand is returning.