Seasonally Adjusted Moving Average Projection (SAMA)

WHAT IS IT?

We’ve introduced a Seasonally Adjusted Moving Average projection to charts that helps you see trends up to 6 months into the future giving you better visibility into what’s next based on both historical seasonality and current-year trends.

This feature is NOT a forecast but uses a 2-year moving average, seasonally structured, and adjusts future values based on current Year-to-Date (YTD) performance. This ensures your forward view isn’t just historical, but reflective of real-time market movements.

How it works:

  1. Seasonal Baseline:
    • A 2-year monthly average is calculated for each of the 12 calendar months, capturing seasonal patterns (e.g., average July values from 2023 and 2024).
  2. YTD Adjustment Factor:
    • We calculate the YTD average for the current year (e.g., Jan–June 2025) and compare it to the same period from the previous two years (2023–2024).
    • This gives us a scaling factor:
      YTD Adjustment Factor = 2025 YTD Avg / 2023–2024 YTD Avg
  3. Projecting Future Months:
    • Each of the next 6 months of the 2-year average is scaled by the YTD adjustment factor to produce a forward-looking projection.
      For example:
      Adjusted July Value = 2-Yr Avg July × YTD Factor
  4. Optional Smoothing:
    • To avoid overreacting to short-term anomalies, a smoothing parameter (α) blends the adjusted value and original 2-year average:
      Final Projected Value = α × Adjusted + (1–α) × Original

 

This enhancement is UI-only and is not available via API.

WHO IS INTERESTED?

 

Analysts & Planners looking to project demand, capacity, or rates with a seasonally aware lens.

Brokers & Shippers who need early insight into potential rate trends.

Executives & Strategy Teams seeking more forward-looking KPIs without relying on raw volatility.

Anyone comparing historic seasonality to today’s market conditions in a single, intuitive view.

WHAT DOES IT TELL ME?

 

You now have a projection tool that captures seasonal trends and real-time shifts, not just historical averages.

This makes it easier to anticipate inflection points, set expectations, and make better data-backed decisions.

Combined with the recent additions of lane-level rate search and seasonality, your charting experience is now significantly more powerful and customizable.

In short: this is a major step toward more proactive, insight-driven planning across the supply chain.

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Related Topics

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SONAR Truckload Index (STVI, STRI, STMS, STLT, SALOH)

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