Original Reddit post

Freight demand tied to data center construction is materially stronger than headline industry metrics suggest, according to Dr. Jason Miller, who contends that the ongoing buildout of AI infrastructure is generating significant truckload volumes that conventional measures such as the Cass Freight Index are not capturing. Cass shipments were down approximately 4.5% year over year in July, but Miller and fellow analyst Ken Adamo argued that figure undercounts the industrial freight activity fueling the current market tightening. The demand signal is visible in adjacent data points: air freight imports are up 17% year over year, with that cargo — computers, GPUs, and electrical goods destined for data center facilities — moving onward via expedited truck. Primary metals volumes, driven by steel, switchgear, and electrical equipment tied to data center construction, are also up year over year. Heavy equipment manufacturers including Caterpillar, Eaton, and Cummins have each reported higher volumes in the current year compared to last, a trend Miller said is difficult to reconcile with narratives of declining freight demand. submitted by /u/kernelangus420

Originally posted by u/kernelangus420 on r/ArtificialInteligence