28Freight's latest New England Critical Freight Index shows strong demand for specialized transportation, with overall shipments increasing 11.2% while airport freight remains relatively stable
WILMINGTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / November 12, 2026 / Life sciences freight activity in New England surged 13.5% in October, outpacing overall critical freight growth and highlighting increased demand for specialized transportation services in one of the nation's leading biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device markets. According to the latest New England Critical Freight Index released today by 28Freight, overall critical freight shipments increased 11.2% from September, marking the second consecutive month of growth following August's decline.
The October results underscore the important role of time-critical transportation in supporting New England's life sciences supply chain, where the movement of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, laboratory materials and other sensitive shipments requires speed, reliability and specialized handling. While life sciences transportation recorded double-digit growth, airport freight increased just 1.9%, illustrating differences in shipment activity across specialized freight markets.
Based on 28Freight's proprietary transportation data, the New England Critical Freight Index tracks month-over-month changes in overall shipment activity, airport freight and life sciences transportation. The Index converts those changes into standardized scores, providing a consistent measure of freight momentum while protecting proprietary shipment data.
Key findings from the October 2026 New England Critical Freight Index include:
- Overall Freight Activity: Up 11.2% from September, earning an Overall Freight Index score of +1.0, compared with September's 5.8% increase.
- Life Sciences Transportation: Up 13.5% month over month, resulting in a Life Sciences Index score of +1.0. Life sciences shipments accounted for 19.2% of total October activity.
- Airport Freight Activity: Up 1.9% from September, resulting in an Airport Freight Index score of 0, indicating relatively stable activity following September's 11.3% increase. Airport-related freight represented 22.8% of October shipments.
- Boston Logan Cargo Benchmark: The latest available Massachusetts Port Authority data showed cargo weight increased 19.0% in September from August, resulting in a Boston Logan Cargo Index score of +1.5. October data was not yet available.
"October's results highlight the growing importance of specialized transportation in supporting New England's life sciences industry," said Richard Marks, CEO of 28Freight. "With life sciences shipments increasing more than 13% and overall critical freight activity rising for the second consecutive month, we're seeing meaningful momentum in time-sensitive transportation. At the same time, relatively stable airport freight activity demonstrates why it's important to track individual market segments to better understand where demand is changing."
The October findings also highlight the value of examining specialized freight activity alongside broader transportation indicators. While airport-related shipments showed modest growth, the stronger performance of life sciences transportation reflects increased activity within 28Freight's network serving industries where delivery speed, shipment integrity and reliability are essential.
Published monthly, the New England Critical Freight Index provides supply chain professionals, logistics providers and business leaders with a consistent measure of directional changes in critical freight activity. By tracking trends across key transportation segments, the Index offers insight into evolving shipment patterns and demand for expedited logistics services throughout the region.
Historical airport freight and life sciences figures have been updated to reflect expanded customer and location classifications, improving consistency across reporting periods.
The complete October 2026 New England Critical Freight Index is available at https://28freight.com/new-england-critical-freight-index/.
About 28Freight
28Freight is a specialized provider of expedited transportation and logistics solutions supporting life sciences organizations, medical device manufacturers, freight forwarders and other companies moving time-critical shipments throughout North America. Through its nationwide transportation network and proprietary technology platform, 28Freight delivers reliable, high-touch logistics solutions for shipments where time matters most.
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SOURCE: 28Freight
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/transportation/new-england-life-sciences-freight-surges-13.5-in-october-outpacing-overall-critical-1249970