Data Quality & Sources

Every data point on SupplyChainStack has a source, a verification date, and a confidence score (0.0–1.0). This page documents all 10 data sources powering our benchmarks, tools, and research.

Why Data Transparency Matters

Supply chain decisions affect real operations. When a shipper uses our freight benchmarks to negotiate a carrier contract, or a professional uses our certification comparisons to decide where to invest $1,000+ in exam fees, they deserve to know where the data comes from.

We hold ourselves to four principles:

Every stat has a source. If we can't cite it, we don't publish it.
If it's stale, we say so. Data past its refresh window is flagged — not hidden.
If it's uncertain, we quantify uncertainty. Our confidence scores (0.0–1.0) are machine-readable and included in every API response.
We suppress data we can't verify rather than serve silently bad information.

⚑ Report a data issue →

Platform Data Health

65%

Overall confidence: 0.65

Avg across 8 active sources

Confidence Score Scale (0.0–1.0)

Each data source has a confidence score from 0.0 (estimated/unverified) to 1.0 (primary data). Scores are included in every tool API response in the data_quality block.

0.0–0.2 — Unverified estimate

0.4 — Industry estimate (broad consensus)

0.6 — Trade publication (DAT, Freightos, etc.)

0.8 — Official source (government, accrediting bodies)

1.0 — Primary data (original research or direct API)

All Data Sources (10)

Data Source	Description	Primary Source	Refresh Frequency	Confidence (0–1)	Last Verified / Next	Status
Fuel Surcharge Index fuel_surcharge	LTL and FTL fuel surcharge percentages, based on EIA weekly diesel average.	EIA Weekly Diesel Survey	weekly	0.80	Mar 26, 2026	✓ Fresh
Seasonal Freight Factors seasonal_factors	Monthly demand adjustment factors by freight mode (produce season, holiday peak, etc.).	USDA AMS + Internal Model	monthly	0.80	—	— Not yet verified
Supply Chain Certification Comparison Database cert_comparisons	Certification data for CSCP, CPIM, CPSM, CPM, CLTD, Six Sigma. Source: Official issuing organization websites (ASCM, ISM, ASQ).	ASCM, ISM, ASQ official websites	annual	0.80	Mar 29, 2026	✓ Fresh
Freight Rate Benchmarks freight_rates	LTL, FTL, ocean, air, and parcel rate benchmarks. Source basis: DAT Trendlines, Freightos Baltic Index.	DAT Trendlines + Freightos Baltic Index	weekly	0.60	Mar 26, 2026	✓ Fresh
LTL Zone Rate Matrix ltl_zone_rates	LTL rates by origin-destination zone pair (same/adjacent/regional/cross). $/cwt before fuel surcharge.	DAT Trendlines Regional Averages	weekly	0.60	Mar 26, 2026	✓ Fresh
Ocean Container Rates ocean_rates	FCL container rates (China–US lanes). Source: Freightos Baltic Index.	Freightos Baltic Index	weekly	0.60	Mar 26, 2026	✓ Fresh
US Freight Lane Rate Database freight_lanes	FTL dry van and LTL rates for 16 major US freight corridors. Basis: DAT Freight & Analytics Trendlines annual averages.	DAT Freight & Analytics Trendlines	monthly	0.60	Mar 29, 2026	✓ Fresh
Inventory Algorithm Constants inventory_algorithm_constants	Lead time (14d), order cost ($50), holding cost rate (25%) used in safety stock / EOQ calculations.	Internal Model (manual review quarterly)	monthly	0.40	—	— Not yet verified
Newsletter Subscriber List newsletter_subscribers	Subscriber CRM. Updated on each subscribe/unsubscribe event.	User action	on_demand	0.40	—	— Event-driven
User-Uploaded Inventory Data user_csv_data	CSV datasets uploaded by users. Refreshed whenever users upload new data.	User upload	on_demand	0.40	—	— Event-driven

How Confidence Is Calculated

Confidence scores are assigned to each data source based on the reliability and authority of the underlying source. The scale maps directly to our original 1–5 integer scale: 1→0.20, 2→0.40, 3→0.60, 4→0.80, 5→1.00. Scores are stored as floats and included in every API response data_quality block.

The Platform Data Health score above is the arithmetic mean of all active source confidence scores, excluding event-driven and suppressed sources.

Freight Rate Methodology

Our freight rate benchmarks are based on DAT Freight & Analytics Trendlines, the industry's primary source for spot and contract rate data covering 68,000+ load-to-truck ratios daily.

Specifically, we use:

FTL dry van rates: DAT's national and lane-specific annual average spot rates ($/mile before fuel surcharge)
LTL rates: DAT LTL Trendlines regional zone class 70 averages
Fuel surcharge: EIA weekly national average diesel price → converted using carrier standard tables (~$3.84/gal → ~22.2% FSC)
Ocean rates: Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) weekly composite rate

Important: All rates are benchmarks, not quotes. Use for budgeting and negotiation context only.

Certification Data Methodology

Certification data is sourced directly from official issuing organizations:

ASCM: ascm.org
ISM: ismworld.org
ASQ: asq.org

Reviewed annually. If you notice outdated data, contact us.

Report a Data Issue

Spotted a stale rate, incorrect certification fee, or data inconsistency? Let us know and we'll investigate within 24 hours.

Email data@supplychainstack.ai →

Use Our Data in Your Work

SupplyChainStack's benchmarks power freight budget planning, carrier negotiations, and certification planning for thousands of supply chain professionals.

Explore Free Tools →