Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding the FCPI

Answers to common questions from procurement leaders, CFOs, and logistics teams about interpreting the Freya Cost Pressure Index.

Basics

What is the FCPI?

The Freya Cost Pressure Index (FCPI) is a forward-looking freight cost pressure barometer published weekly by TetriXX AI in partnership with LSCMS (The Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society).

It tracks 177 market signals across 10 global trade lanes to measure where cost pressure is building before it reaches your invoice. The base period is January 2026 = 100. An FCPI reading of 134 means the inputs to your variable freight costs have increased 34% since January 2026.

Who publishes the FCPI?

The FCPI is published by TetriXX AI (Singapore, UEN 202135956H) in partnership with LSCMS, the apex professional body for Supply Chain in Asia. TetriXX AI builds the technology and computes the index. LSCMS provides industry validation and distribution reach.

What is the relationship between FCPI and Freya?

The FCPI is a standalone market intelligence product. Freya is TetriXX AI's freight invoice intelligence platform that continuously verifies every incoming invoice against your rate cards and contracts to deliver actionable intelligence.

The FCPI gives you the market-level signal: where is cost pressure building across trade lanes? Freya gives you the company-level financial translation: what does that pressure cost your company, on your carriers, on your routes, verified to invoice level.

You do not need Freya to use the FCPI, and you do not need the FCPI to use Freya. Together, they provide both the map and the navigation.

Reading the Index

Does FCPI 134 mean my freight costs are up 34%?

No. FCPI 134 means the inputs to your variable freight costs have increased 34% since January 2026. Your actual exposure depends on your modal mix and contract structure.

Variable costs (fuel surcharges, CAF, GRI, war risk) typically represent 30 to 52% of total freight spend. So an FCPI of 134 translates to roughly 10 to 18% total cost increase, not 34%. The FCPI Pro cost calculator applies this adjustment to your specific spend profile.

What is the variable vs fixed cost distinction?

Your freight invoice has two components:

Fixed: Base freight rate (locked for the contract period), terminal handling, documentation fees. These do not move with market signals.

Variable: Fuel surcharges (BAF, FSC, EFS), currency adjustment factors (CAF), general rate increases (GRI), war risk and emergency surcharges. These move with market conditions.

The FCPI measures pressure on the variable portion only. For ocean freight, the variable share is typically 39 to 52%. For air, 35 to 48%. For road, 30 to 38%.

What is "The Wave" in the Pro report?

The Wave is a visualisation of the time lag between market pressure and your invoice. When Brent crude spikes, the cost does not hit your freight bill immediately. It flows through carrier surcharge update cycles, which vary by carrier and modality: typically 1 to 8 weeks.

The Wave shows where money hides between the market signal and your payment. For procurement teams, this lag is where negotiation leverage lives: you can see the pressure building before your carrier sends the adjusted surcharge notice.

Why does the FCPI use January 2026 as the base period?

January 2026 was selected as a period of relative market stability before the current crisis cycle. The baseline is fixed and is never rebased during periods of market stress.

This ensures readings remain comparable over time. A CFO who budgeted freight costs in January can directly read the FCPI to see how far actual input pressure has deviated from their budget assumptions.

Can I use the FCPI for budget planning?

Yes. The FCPI Pro report includes an interactive cost calculator where you enter your annual freight spend and lane allocation. It outputs your projected variable cost exposure at M1, M3, M6, M9, and M12 horizons under three scenarios (base, escalation, de-escalation).

This is designed specifically for CFO budget variance planning and procurement negotiation preparation. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your spend figures are not sent to any server.

How FCPI Compares

How is the FCPI different from the Drewry World Container Index?

The Drewry WCI measures what ocean container freight rates were last week. It is a backward-looking, single composite number covering ocean only.

The FCPI measures where cost pressure is heading next, decomposed into five layers (fuel, capacity, surcharges, currency, demand), across three modalities (ocean, air, road), with a forward horizon of 1 to 12 months.

They are complementary: Drewry verifies what happened. The FCPI anticipates what is coming.

How is the FCPI different from the SCFI?

The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) tracks spot container rates on Shanghai export routes. It is granular and widely followed, but Shanghai-origin only, ocean only, spot only, and backward-looking.

The FCPI covers 10 trade lanes (not just Shanghai origin), three modalities, and looks forward. Where the SCFI tells you what Shanghai export rates were, the FCPI tells you where cost pressure is heading across the full global network.

How is the FCPI different from Xeneta?

Xeneta provides rate benchmarking: what did the market pay for freight? It is valuable for understanding contract competitiveness.

The FCPI measures the upstream cost drivers that will affect future rates. Xeneta shows what happened. The FCPI shows what is coming. During a crisis, contract rates in Xeneta lag spot by 2 to 3 months, so Xeneta may show calm while invoices are about to spike.

Do I need the FCPI if I already subscribe to Drewry or Xeneta?

Yes. They serve different purposes. Drewry and Xeneta answer "what did the market charge?" The FCPI answers "where is pressure building next?" Using them together gives you backward verification and forward anticipation.

If you currently use Drewry or Xeneta for contract negotiations, the FCPI adds a forward dimension: instead of negotiating based only on historical rates, you can show your carrier what the pressure inputs look like for the next quarter.

Product & Pricing

What are the three FCPI tiers?

FCPI Free (always free): Heat map and top 3 lane readings with 3 baseline recommendations. Delivered every Friday by email.

FCPI Pro ($99/month): All 10 lanes, interactive cost calculator, The Wave scenarios (M1 to M12), and 15 prioritised recommendations across 3 urgency tiers. Includes modal decomposition (ocean/air/road pressure separately).

FCPI Pro+ ($299/month, coming soon): Everything in Pro plus mitigation playbooks, custom alerts, saved assumptions, historical variance tracking, and carrier-level behaviour analysis.

How do I receive the FCPI report?

After registering on this website, you receive the report by email every Friday. The report is available as both an interactive HTML file (with the cost calculator, charts, and toggles) and a PDF for offline reading.

The HTML version is recommended for desktop use. The cost calculator and interactive features require a modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge).

Data & Trust

Does the FCPI use any of my company data?

No. The FCPI is computed entirely from public market data. No client-specific invoices, rates, or shipment data are used in the computation.

The FCPI Pro cost calculator uses spend figures that you enter yourself. These are processed locally in your browser and are not sent to any server.

How accurate are the FCPI predictions?

The FCPI tracks its own prediction accuracy as part of a self-correcting feedback loop. Current track record: 87% directional accuracy across 652 predictions since January 2026.

When projections deviate from realised outcomes, model parameters are adjusted. Past accuracy is not indicative of future results, and extreme events (beyond historical precedent) may exceed model assumptions.

Can I audit the data behind the FCPI?

Every data point in the FCPI carries a provenance tag indicating its source and date. All sources are publicly available or commercially licensed. There are no black-box inputs.

Every weekly reading is permanently versioned. If a correction is needed (e.g., a source agency revises a data point), a new version is published with a changelog. Historical readings are never silently overwritten.

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