The February Logistics Managers’ Index, a barometer of the health of the US logistics sector, has increased 1.9 points month-on-month to sit at 61.5, representing the fastest level of expansion since February’s 2025 reading of 62.8.

The LMI is produced by researchers at Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Florida Atlantic University, Rutgers University, and the University of Nevada, Reno in conjunction with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).

It is a combination of eight unique components which make up the logistics industry, including: inventory levels and costs, warehousing capacity, utilisation, and prices, and transportation capacity, utilisation, and prices. 

The LMI is calculated using a diffusion index, where a reading above 50.0 indicates logistics is expanding while a reading below 50.0 indicates the logistics industry is shrinking.

At a glance, the February LMI shows growth is increasing at an increasing rate, for warehouse utilisation (60.3), transport utilisation (61.9) and transport prices (76.7).

At the same time, growth is increasing but at a decreasing rate, for inventory levels (53.8), inventory costs (67.9) and warehousing prices (62.6), while transportation capacity is contracting (41).

LMI producers explain that while there is only a small margin between the LMI figure for February 2026 against February 2025, the difference between them is the result of “very different circumstances”.

“Of the eight sub-metrics of the LMI, five of them displayed statistically significant movement across the two readings,” index producers state. “February 2025 was a time of significant buildup with Inventory Levels expanding quickly at 64.8 to stay ahead of tariffs. 

“Firms are taking the opposite approach in February 2026, keeping Inventory Levels lean at 53.8 to avoid existent tariff costs. This leaner strategy is making some impact as Inventory Cost expansion in 2026 is significantly slower than a year ago (77.3 in 2025 to 67.8 in 2026).  

"The byproducts of these differing strategies are seen in our other metrics. The expansionary policies of 2025 led to faster Warehousing Price expansion last year (77.0) although we still see solid expansion in 2026 (62.6).