Update cadence varies by index. MPAI refreshes weekly when new BTS data is released. SSI updates twice daily (morning and afternoon). PFPI and CBPSI recompute daily after their upstream USDA AMS and CBP data releases.
What Chainomics Proprietary Indices Are
Unlike dashboards that republish raw government data, Chainomics proprietary indices are computed composites. Each one ingests multiple public signals—from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, US Customs and Border Protection, and Reddit communities—normalizes them on a 0–100 scale, and produces a single actionable score. Because the computation runs automatically on Chainomics infrastructure, you always see the latest signal without needing to aggregate sources yourself. The indices are unavailable on traditional freight platforms and represent intellectual property developed by the Chainomics research team.The Four Indices
MPAI — Maritime Port Activity Index
A composite 0–100 score measuring US maritime port activity derived from 9 Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) indicators. A score above 70 signals congestion risk. Updated weekly.
PFPI — Produce Freight Pressure Index
A 0–100 score predicting capacity tightening in produce-heavy freight corridors, computed from USDA AMS data. A rising PFPI typically precedes truckload spot-rate spikes by 5–10 days.
CBPSI — Cross-Border Produce Surge Index
A 0–100 score measuring US–Mexico produce gateway crossing intensity across Nogales, Pharr, and Otay Mesa. High CBPSI correlates with longer commercial border wait times.
SSI — Social Sentiment Index
A twice-daily aggregation of Reddit sentiment for logistics companies across r/logistics, r/Truckers, r/freight, and r/supplychain. Produces Bullish / Bearish / Neutral breakdowns per company or topic.
How to Access the Indices
You can reach any index from three entry points inside Chainomics:- Sidebar navigation — Expand the relevant Insight section (Maritime Ports, Produce Indices, Cross Border, or Social Sentiment) and select the index page directly.
- Freight Indices Hub — Navigate to Freight Indices Hub for a unified view that includes cross-signal correlation charts, seasonal decomposition, a pairwise correlation matrix, and an interactive signal network graph across all registered indices.
- Ask Ms. Z — Open the AI copilot from any page and query the indices in natural language (see below).
Query the Indices with Ask Ms. Z
Ask Ms. Z is Chainomics’ AI assistant, available from every page in the platform. You can interrogate any index without leaving your current workflow. Try prompts like:- “What is the current MPAI and what does it mean for my West Coast imports?”
- “Is the PFPI rising this week? Which corridors are most affected?”
- “Show me CBPSI for Nogales and tell me whether I should expect longer wait times.”
- “What’s the social sentiment for J.B. Hunt right now?”
Why Proprietary Indices Matter
Traditional freight platforms show you where shipments are. Chainomics indices show you what is about to happen to your lanes and costs. Because each index is derived from upstream leading-indicator data, movements in these scores typically surface 5–48 hours before downstream market moves become visible in spot-rate boards or carrier capacity signals.| Index | Typical Lead Time Before Market Move |
|---|---|
| MPAI | 24–48 hours before port congestion impacts in-transit dwell |
| PFPI | 5–10 days before truckload spot-rate spikes on produce lanes |
| CBPSI | 12–24 hours before commercial border wait-time increases |
| SSI | 24–48 hours before stock-price or operational news surfaces |