Warehouse on Wheels (WOW) launched the WOW Supply Chain Activity Index (WOW Index), a monthly composite indicator of U.S. supply chain activity.
Combining WOW’s proprietary trailer-deployment data with eight widely recognized economic and supply chain indicators, the index provides a single monthly reading of market conditions and supply chain activity across the United States.
“We sit in a very unique position within the North American supply chain. Trailers coming on and off rent across 37 locations provide one of the cleanest reads of the actual flow of goods,” says John Brooks, CEO of Warehouse on Wheels. “This is the first U.S. supply chain index that combines real, multi-location trailer-deployment data with the public benchmarks the industry already trusts. The WOW Supply Chain Activity Index takes that view and gives our customers, our partners, and the broader industry a single number to point at every month.”
Key takeaways:
· The July reading places the index in the Contraction zone, signaling that overall manufacturing and warehousing activity remain below long-term norms. However, the reading has improved by nearly nine points from the cycle low of 33.4 in January 2026, suggesting that the deepest phase of the supply chain downturn may be ending. The cycle peak of 73.6 was set in July 2021, at the height of the post-COVID restocking surge.
● The June 2026 reading sits in the Contraction zone, defined as any value below 45. In practical terms, that environment is marked by lower freight rates, ample warehouse capacity, and limited pricing power across the storage sectors.
● The index hit a seven-year low of 33.4 in January 2026 and has since improved by nearly nine points, suggesting supply chain conditions are stabilizing after an extended downturn.
● Despite the improvement from January lows, the index remains in the lower half of its historical range, reflecting a market that is still searching for sustained momentum.
