The Breakthrough Monthly Freight Index
Elevate your freight strategy with the Breakthrough Ecosystem. Stay informed with the latest freight index and market update, empowering you to navigate shifts in demand and capacity.
Freight index analysis
Shipments within the Breakthrough Ecosystem experienced a 3.3% decline on a year-over-year basis and remained flat on a month-over-month basis. May marks the fourth consecutive month of declines for volumes.
Across most industries, volumes were largely in-line with the previous year's levels in May. The lone gains were observed in the retail segment, as volumes increased by 1.2%. The notable standout was shipments of durable goods, which declined 21.8% in May.
Freight market update
Published: June 20, 2025
The macroeconomic conditions impacting freight volumes remain largely unchanged from the prior month, with a key bright spot being the sustained growth in real goods spending from consumers. Although the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index recently saw a significant drop, real consumer spending on goods, which is adjusted for inflation, grew 4.4% in April. Considering that goods spending growth averaged 3.5% pre-Covid, April’s result suggests a healthy level of consumer spending is still present in the economy.
As is often the case, how consumers report feeling about the economy isn’t necessarily reflected in their actual spending behavior. April 2025’s Consumer Sentiment reading of 52.2 lands just 2 index points above the all-time low of 50.0 observed in July 2022. Continued healthy spending from consumers is likely helping dampen the impact of a sluggish real-estate market and tariffs on total freight volumes.
Adapt to freight market demands
To maintain a competitive advantage, integrate innovative strategies that leverage data, technology, and market expertise. By doing so, you can take a proactive approach to procurement.
Access real-time data
Prepare for the forecasted increase in freight demand by having access to a real-time, shipper-transacted dataset. With this type of data at your fingertips, you can benchmark your network against other industry-leading shippers and uncover opportunities within your transportation network.
Invest in relationships
Invest in mutually beneficial relationships with carriers to be prepared for any sudden changes in freight demand or capacity. Leverage Capac-ID to determine if alternative carriers might be a better match for certain lanes and loads.
Leverage a trusted source
Keep informed about market shifts to adjust your transportation plans promptly. By leveraging unbiased market expertise from sources like Breakthrough, you can effectively communicate market dynamics to your C-suite, enhancing your credibility as a transportation leader.
About the Breakthrough Ecosystem
The Breakthrough Ecosystem is one of the cleanest and most robust sets of transportation data in the U.S.
28+ million shipments
$32 billion in transportation spend
15+ billion commercial miles
2 billion gallons of diesel fuel
Take control of your freight network
Experience firsthand how Breakthrough’s innovative freight solutions can keep a constant pulse on your transportation network performance and identify areas for cost reduction and efficiency gains.