Producer Price Index for intermodal freight rail transportation.
Paste straight into Excel, Google Sheets or an email. Spreadsheet format lands as two columns.
| Month | Value | Change m/m |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | +0.1% | |
| Aug 2026 | +0.2% | |
| Jul 2026 | −0.7% | |
| Jun 2026 | −0.0% | |
| May 2026 | +1.5% | |
| Apr 2026 | +1.9% | |
| Mar 2026 | +0.4% | |
| Feb 2026 | −0.1% | |
| Jan 2026 | −1.3% | |
| Dec 2025 | +1.0% | |
| Nov 2025 | +0.2% | |
| Oct 2025 | −0.5% | |
| Sep 2025 | +0.4% |
Same numbers as the chart, straight from BLS. Dates are the first of each period, the way BLS reports them.
Intermodal rail rose 2.6% over the last 12 months, but all of its main inputs rose faster: no. 2 diesel fuel +115.2%. That cost pressure may still pass through to prices.
Rail transportation
A starting point citing this series by name and code. Replace the bracketed terms with your contract's actual scope before use.
The [affected portion] of the Contract Price shall be adjusted using US PPI — Line-Haul Railroads, Intermodal Freight Rail Transportation (BLS series PCU482111482111412), published by BLS. Base Period: the index value published for September 2026 (or the month of contract signing, if different) is the Base Value. Adjustment: at each Adjustment Date, the Current Value is the most recently published three-month average of the index (the Averaging Window). The Escalation Factor equals Current Value divided by Base Value. Cap: the Escalation Factor applied under this clause shall not exceed 1.10 or fall below 0.90 (a 10% cap and floor) in any single Adjustment Date, regardless of the index's actual movement. [Replace bracketed terms with your contract's actual affected-portion definition and adjustment-date schedule before use. This is a drafting starting point, not legal advice.]
A named cut of the line-haul railroad series specific to container and trailer-on-rail movement, the right choice for an intermodal logistics contract rather than the broader rail series.
Match the trucking PPI to the actual move. Local drayage uses PCU484110484110, long-distance full truckload uses PCU484121484121, less-than-truckload uses PCU484122484122. Add a diesel fuel index for the surcharge, since fuel and linehaul rates move on different schedules.
Escalake tracks US PPI — Line-Haul Railroads, Intermodal Freight Rail Transportation, applies your formula, and gives both sides a number they can confirm, no spreadsheet required.