Morgan Stanley flatbed index indicates tight but easing capacity    

Morgan Stanley's flatbed freight index is declining sooner in the year than is the historical norm. Until the last few weeks flatbed capacity had been tighter than in 2004 and 2010, but now appears to be easing. The index remains higher than all other reference years and is considerably higher (tighter capacity) than the average over the complete time frame. The flatbed market was particularly hard hit by the fall off in housing starts, but has gained some ground with the growth in U. S. manufacturing. The index measures incremental demand for flatbed truckload services compared to incremental supply. The higher the index the tighter is capacity relative to demand when compared to a prior period.

Graph reproduced with permission from Morgan Stanley. For more information contact: Adam Longson at Adam.Longson@morganstanley.com or Bill Greene at William.Greene@morganstanley.com