Freight Pulse & Law Update: Cass Expenditures Jump 20% as USDOT Puts $200 Million Into Truck Parking

Freight demand is growing modestly, but shipping costs are rising far faster, and truck parking remains a costly network constraint.

What changed in freight this week? September’s Cass Freight Index shipments rose 1.9% year over year, while expenditures climbed 20.4%. On October 14, USDOT announced $200 million for 14 truck-parking projects in 12 states.

What do the latest freight indicators show?

Cass shipments rose 2.3% month over month, a second straight year-over-year gain after a 3.5-year downturn. Expenditures hit 3.970 on higher shipments, rates and fuel surcharges. The Truckload Linehaul Index hit 154.8, up 10.1% year over year; contract rates kept adjusting higher even as spot rates cooled.

• Intermodal: ACT Research estimates 19.3 million North American Class I loads in 2026, above the 2018 record of 18.9 million, with another record expected in 2027. (Cass September report)

• Parking investment: USDOT says 40% of truckers spend over an hour a day searching for parking. Awards include about 275 spaces near Savannah, 140 spaces plus 50 container staging positions at Wilmington, and up to 260 spaces on I-91 in Enfield. Projects cover design and construction; none are open yet. (USDOT announcement)

What should I-95 operators watch?

Regional coverage, Maryland to New England: Fort McHenry Tunnel and I-895 closures in Baltimore remain scheduled through October 22, per MDTA advisories. Farther north, the grant-funded Enfield facility will add up to 260 truck spaces along I-91. Plan routes and delivery windows around active work and changing access.

How can visibility help operators respond?

Parking constraints and higher costs make coordinated appointments, dispatch and inventory data more important. FlowOps supports dock scheduling for port gate windows, dispatch visibility, customer-portal dashboards and SKU-level inventory visibility for third party logistics providers. For 3PL Maryland and Mid-Atlantic fulfillment operations, inventory management for ecommerce helps teams coordinate 3PL fulfillment services across the supply chain.

Lanta Logistics connects warehousing, fulfillment and transportation; explore FlowOps, an operator-built WMS with plans from $99/month flat, unlimited SKUs, 20+ modules, patent-pending Agentic AI and real-time visibility, or compare plans.