BLOOMINGTON, IN. — FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for November (TCI) climbed nearly two points to a reading of 9.7.

That gain was expected, FTR said, as the market looks to be tightening going into 2013. “The primary driver will be increased utilization,” FTR said in a statement, “with an additional one-time hit from Sandy rebuilding efforts.”

Jonathan Starks, director of transportation analysis for FTR, said that they had been forecasting an improved environment for trucking, “even before the agreement reached to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff’. There are still political hurdles to navigate in early 2013, but the agreement takes some of the uncertainty out of business plans. We’ll keep monitoring the economy closely to look for any renewed softness in demand, but for now we believe capacity will tighten during 2013.”