October 2026 WOW Supply Chain Activity Index Holds at 43.4 as Warehouse Space Tightens Heading Into Peak Season

September data dropped 0.6 points as warehouses filled back up and available warehouse space contracted at its fastest rate in over four years

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky., Nov. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Warehouse on Wheels (WOW), the largest independent storage trailer rental network in North America, today announced the October 2026 WOW Supply Chain Activity Index, a monthly composite indicator of U.S. supply chain activity.

The October index recorded a September 2026 data reading of 43.4, down 0.6 points from an August reading of 44.0 and 10.0 points above the January 2026 cycle low of 33.4. This is the first time the index has posted back-to-back readings above 43 since 2023. WOW’s proprietary Deployment Ratio fell from 1.18 to 1.02, going down 2.2 points from the index, while the eight public data series added about 1.6 points combined. The ratio stayed above 1.0, meaning dry van on-rents outpaced dry van off-rents for a second straight month. The reading remains inside the Contraction zone, below the Neutral threshold of 45, where it has been since 2023.

“Our deployment ratio came off its August high, but it stayed above 1.0, and that is the number we are watching closely,” said John Brooks, CEO of Warehouse on Wheels. “Customers kept the trailers they took on last month instead of sending them back, and warehouses filled back up at the same time. Two months of the market holding capacity is a real signal. We want to see the Index get closer to 45 before calling it a recovery.”

September 2026 Supply Chain Market Signals:

• Trailer demand cooled, but customers kept the capacity. The Deployment Ratio came down from 1.18 to 1.02, which took 2.2 points off the index and accounts for the entire monthly decline. On-rents still outpaced off-rents, just by a narrower margin. In August, customers tested the recovery with capacity they could hand back, and in September, they held onto it.
• Warehouses filled back up as available space disappeared. LMI Warehousing Utilization rebounded from 59.6 to 64.3. Over the same month, the Logistics Managers’ Index reported that Warehousing Capacity fell 14.2 points to 39.3, its fastest rate of contraction since March 2022. Fuller warehouses and less space to lease are the conditions WOW’s trailers are built for.
• Freight volumes confirmed the turn. Cass Freight Index shipments rose from 1.038 to 1.062, a second straight monthly gain and the second consecutive year-over-year increase after 42 months of declines. LMI Transportation Prices firmed again to 92.7. ISM Manufacturing PMI (54.5) and ISM Supplier Deliveries (59.0) were essentially flat.
• Activity is still in Contraction. The 43.4 reading sits at the top of the 30 to 45 Contraction band rather than crossing into Neutral. The index has not reported above 45 since early 2023 and is averaging 40.2 across the first nine months of 2026.
  
  

The September data points show that storage is becoming hard to find heading into the fourth quarter. Warehouses are fuller, and the space available to lease is shrinking at its fastest rate since early 2022, according to the Logistics Managers’ Index. Additionally, freight volumes are rising, with Cass projecting October shipments up 4% year over year. New supply is also not arriving in time, with the U.S. industrial vacancy standing at 6.8% in the third quarter, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Companies that need more space in November and December cannot sign a lease fast enough to get it, so they need space that shows up in days and goes away when the season is over.

“Right now, warehouses are filling up, there is less space to lease than there has been in four years, and nobody is building their way out of it this quarter,” continued Brooks. “When the volume shows up in November and December, the companies that waited on a lease are the ones calling us at the last minute. Operations teams need to rent the capacity they need for the weeks they need it, and hand it back when they are done.”

The WOW Supply Chain Activity Index is compiled from nine weighted data series, including WOW’s own Deployment Ratio, LMI Warehousing Utilization and Transportation Prices, the Cass Freight Index for shipments, and broader manufacturing and industrial indicators, combined into a single monthly reading on a 0 to 100 scale.

To subscribe to get the monthly WOW Supply Chain Activity Index in your inbox every month, click here. To learn more about Warehouse on Wheels and its trailer storage solutions, visit warehouseonwheels.com.

About Warehouse on Wheels

Warehouse on Wheels (WOW) is the largest independent trailer-storage rental network in North America, operating 37 locations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. WOW provides flexible, on-demand storage capacity to manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and third-party logistics providers, helping shippers absorb seasonality, manage inventory swings, and respond to supply-chain shocks without the long-term commitment of fixed warehousing. Founded in 2017 by combining established carriers, the company's operating companies have served their customers for over 30 years. Warehouse on Wheels is headquartered in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

For more information, visit www.warehouseonwheels.com.

Media Contact
Michelle Williams
LeadCoverage, on behalf of Warehouse on Wheels
michelle.w@leadcoverage.com