NFPA's Confidential Shipment Statistics (CSS) Program

Plan your next move with NFPA’s monthly CSS Report – the only monthly source of aggregated industry data for the fluid power industry. CSS helps you understand trends and anticipate changes at the industry level, as well as at the product level. Compare your company’s performance to industry segments that are most relevant to you with::

  • The latest trend graphs for fluid power shipments and orders;
  • Hard data and analysis for a variety of fluid power industry and product segments;
  • Producer Price Indexes (PPI);
  • An Excel-based tool that allows users to perform detailed analysis of data;
  • Additional reports that include data and analysis for customer markets and leading indicators.

What is involved with being a CSS participant?

As a CSS participant, NFPA asks that you report both monthly shipments and orders for all fluid power products produced in the U.S. by your company, as well as U.S. exports and U.S. imports (only products that are used for fluid power applications should be reported). Both Manufacturer and Supplier members are eligible too participate; Distributor members will receive a summary report. Great care is taken to maintain confidentiality of individual company data by having each participating company report directly to an independent market research firm for data aggregation.

What will I receive as a CSS participant?

Every month you will receive an electronic version of NFPA’s CSS report, fourteen pages of fluid power analysis that allows participants to take a quick and accurate look at the state of the industry or analyze products, industry, and customers in detail with trend graphs and index data. Also included are two monthly raw data reports (preliminary and final periods) that include dollar data for industry and product segments your company is involved in.

Electronic Statistical Toolkit logoYou will also receive NFPA’s Electronic Statistical Toolkit as a benefit of participation. An Excel-based software package that allows users to quickly and easily analyze CSS, company-specific, and outside data sources by creating instant graphs and tables that drop right into your planning documents and presentations. Automate time-consuming calculations and analyses that are commonly used in everyday business practices.

And, in addition, you will receive NFPA’s Customer Market File as a benefit of participation. This file is included with the monthly distribution of the CSS report and provides raw dollar data for a large selection of customer markets and indicators that allows users to track monthly changes in trends and market size. Data from this report is easily transferred into the NFPA Toolkit.

How do I get started?

Sample CSS Report
Frequently Asked Questions

To get started or for more information about the CSS program, please contact Eric Armstrong, (414) 778-3372 and inquire about taking full advantage of this valuable member service.