Intermodal competitive index explained
An FTR exclusive index helping shippers and carriers prepare for the right time to switch from road to rail.
What is the Intermodal Competitive Index?
The Intermodal Competitive Index is a single composite score that measures the competitive posture of domestic intermodal freight versus over-the-road (OTR) truck. A positive score indicates favorable conditions for intermodal; a negative score indicates a reduced ability for intermodal to gain market share from trucking.
This index, found in the Intermodal Monthly, tracks five major conditions in the U.S. rail intermodal market. The major conditions are:
What conditions does the Intermodal Competitive Index track?
- freight demand
- freight rates
- truck capacity
- rail service
- fuel price
These individual metrics are combined into a single index using FTR's Freight•cast™ model.