When forecasting the truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) markets, ACT Research utilizes three primary metrics to measure industry volumes (demand):

• Cass Freight Index®- Shipments
• ACT Freight Composite Index

In short, both measure consumer demand that drives the shipping of goods by a carrier. In other words, measurements of the volume of freight hauled.

Cass Freight Index®- Shipments measures the number of freight shipments hauled within North America by Cass Information Systems. Cass processes more than $44 billion in freight transactions annually and is the ideal source for measuring shipper volumes.

ACT Freight Composite Index is a measure of the estimated total freight hauled by sector as developed by ACT Research.

These two demand metrics provide insights into the expected volumes of freight shipped over the next 6-36 months, providing a supply-demand balance when utilized with ACT's capacity (supply) metrics.