New monthly index provides timely insight into expedited freight activity across overall shipments, airport freight and life sciences transportation

WILMINGTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / August 17, 2026 / 28Freight today announced the launch of the New England Critical Freight Index, a new monthly analysis providing shippers, freight forwarders and supply chain professionals with timely insight into trends shaping the time-sensitive transportation market.

Built from 28Freight’s proprietary transportation data, the index measures month-over-month changes across three key areas of expedited logistics: overall shipment activity, airport freight and life sciences transportation. Rather than reporting actual shipment volumes, the index converts changes in activity into standardized scores, providing a consistent measure of market momentum while protecting proprietary operational data.

The inaugural July 2026 New England Critical Freight Index found:

  • July showed continued growth in critical freight activity, but at a more moderate pace following June’s rebound, with both airport freight and life sciences transportation outpacing overall shipment growth. June recorded particularly strong gains across the Index, including a 10.6% increase in overall shipments, a 21.7% increase in airport-related freight and a 27.2% increase in life sciences shipments.

  • Overall shipment activity increased 1.5% from June, earning an Overall Freight Index score of 0.0, reflecting relatively stable activity following June’s stronger rebound.

  • Airport freight activity increased 2.4% month over month, resulting in an Airport Freight Index score of 0.0. Airport-related freight represented 23.1% of 28Freight shipment activity in July, the highest share recorded during the reporting period.

  • Life sciences transportation increased 2.3% from June, resulting in a Life Sciences Index score of 0.0 and extending the category’s positive momentum into July.

  • As an external benchmark, the latest available Massachusetts Port Authority data showed Boston Logan cargo weight decreased 2.0% in June from May, resulting in a Boston Logan Cargo Index score of −0.5.

The neutral July momentum scores reflect the Index’s month-over-month methodology rather than a slowdown in freight activity. July’s continued growth of 1.5%, 2.4% and 2.3%, respectively, built on those elevated June levels, signaling that activity held onto June’s gains and continued to move higher.

“The transportation industry has no shortage of annual reports, but there are far fewer resources that provide a consistent monthly view of what is happening in the expedited freight market,” said Richard Marks, CEO of 28Freight. “With the New England Critical Freight Index, our goal is to turn the transportation activity we see every day into meaningful market intelligence that helps customers and industry professionals identify shifts in demand, recognize emerging trends and make more informed decisions.”

Unlike many transportation reports that rely primarily on government statistics or annual market surveys, the New England Critical Freight Index is published monthly using a consistent methodology that tracks directional changes in shipment activity. The index is intended to complement broader industry reporting by providing timely insight into sectors where speed, reliability and specialized handling are critical.

Each monthly report includes:

  • Overall Critical Freight Index

  • Airport Freight Index

  • Life Sciences Freight Index

  • Boston Logan cargo activity as an external benchmark

  • Month-over-month percentage changes

  • Historical trend analysis

  • Commentary on notable transportation market developments

Future editions will continue expanding the historical trend data while maintaining a consistent methodology allowing supply chain professionals to compare month-over-month activity and identify longer-term patterns in the critical freight market.

The complete July 2026 New England Critical Freight Index is available at https://28freight.com/new-england-critical-freight-index/.

About 28Freight

28Freight is a specialized provider of expedited transportation and logistics solutions supporting life sciences organizations, medical device manufacturers, freight forwarders and other companies moving time-critical shipments throughout North America. Through its nationwide transportation network and proprietary technology platform, 28Freight delivers reliable, high-touch logistics solutions for shipments where time matters most.

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For Further Information, Contact
Amy Riemer, Media Relations
978-502-4895 (cell)
amy@riemercommunications.com

SOURCE: 28Freight

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