Pick up in economic activities boosts freight rates, CV sales in August

For the first time since Covid outbreak, revenue of the operators is outpacing income and prompting them not only to replace older trucks but also expand fleet

Freight rates across key trunk routes rose an average 4.5-5 per cent in August. The increase - the third in three straight months since the lockdown lifted - was led by higher exports and increased cargo offering from all sectors, said the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) on Thursday.

“If one looks at the absolute rates on each of the routes, this is the highest for the month of August since 2019,” said S P Singh, senior fellow, IFTRT. 
 
As a result, the trucking and transport business has been fairly remunerative and fleet owners have