{"id":92600,"date":"2026-02-17T21:06:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T00:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/893207082"},"modified":"2026-02-17T21:06:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T00:06:48","slug":"cass-freight-index-shows-weather-impacting-january-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/17\/cass-freight-index-shows-weather-impacting-january-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"Cass Freight Index shows weather impacting January rates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ai-optimize-6 ai-optimize-introduction\">According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cassinfo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cass Freight Index<\/a>, the harsh weather across North America in January, is the driving factor forcing freight volumes to struggle and rates to rise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-18\">\u201cTruckload linehaul rates rose 1.7% m\/m and 3.2% y\/y in January, Cass said. \u201cWhile weather earns part of the credit, we also believe new contract rates are in the mix. The good news for carriers is clear: 13 straight months of y\/y increases and five consecutive months of m\/m gains. Other factors such as tariff-related timing and continued de-stocking also challenged volumes and contributed to a -7.1 y\/y decline in for-hire shipment volumes.\u201d<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"ai-optimize-7\"><strong>Cass Freight Index \u2014 Shipments<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-7\">The shipments component of the Cass Freight Index fell 7.1% y\/y and 4.9% m\/m in January, or 2.0% m\/m in seasonally adjusted (SA) terms, reaching a new cycle low.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-8\">The normal seasonal trend would have the shipments component of the Cass Freight Index down 11% y\/y in February, although a rebound from the weather could support volumes above this.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"ai-optimize-9\"><strong>Cass Freight Index \u2014 Expenditures<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-9\">The expenditures component of the Cass Freight Index, which measures the total amount spent on freight, fell 3.6% m\/m in January. Expenditures were up 0.6% from the year-ago level in January, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetrucker.com\/trucking-news\/business\/cass-freight-index-shows-december-freight-slowdown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">after a 0.6% y\/y dip in December.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-10\">\u201cThe flattish results of the past few months were a combination of lower shipments and higher rates. With shipments down considerably, we can conclude higher freight costs,\u201d Cass said.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ai-optimize-11\">In SA terms, the index rose 0.4% m\/m, after a 0.2% m\/m increase in December.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-12\">The expenditures component of the Cass Freight Index, after a record 38% surge in 2021 and another 23% increase in 2022, fell 19% in 2023 and 11% in 2024. In 2025, the index declined by 0.5%.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"ai-optimize-13\"><strong>Truckload Linehaul Index<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-13\">The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index rose 1.7% m\/m in January, after a 1.0% increase in December.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ai-optimize-14\">Rates rose 3.2% y\/y as weather challenged volumes. Warmer weather should lead to some trend reversion, but for February at least, spot rates are likely to accelerate.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-optimize-15\">This index is mostly comprised of contract rates, and anecdotally \u201cwe hear about more shippers initiating one-year bids, suggesting movement in the cycle beyond just weather effects,\u201d Cass said.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ai-optimize-16\">This index reflects the whole for-hire market, both spot and contract rates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ai-optimize-17\">This index fell 10% in 2023, another 3.4% in 2024, and turned up to a 1.8% increase in 2025.<\/p>\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-wrap\">\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-tab saboxplugin-tab-about\">\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-gravatar\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetrucker.com\/author\/dana-guthrie\"><img data-opt-id=758893364  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thetrucker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dana-Guthrie.jpg?ssl=1\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" alt=\"Dana Guthrie\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"saboxplugin-desc\">\n<div>\n<p>Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 --> <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\"> <\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\"> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230; -hire shipment volumes.\u00e2\u0080\u009d Cass <span class=\"match\">Freight<\/span> Index \u00e2\u0080\u0094 Shipments The shipments &#8230; volumes above this. Cass <span class=\"match\">Freight<\/span> Index \u00e2\u0080\u0094 Expenditures The expenditures &#8230; component of the Cass <span class=\"match\">Freight<\/span> Index, which measures the &#8230; , we can conclude higher <span class=\"match\">freight<\/span> costs,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Cass said. In &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92600\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}