As 2026 gets underway, the less-than-truckload (LTL) sector is cautiously optimistic after a disappointing 2025. Industry leaders are pointing to signs of a potential rebound, including declining interest rates, improving consumer sentiment, and tightening truckload capacity that typically pushes smaller shipments back into LTL networks. However, the timing remains hazy. The sector shares the mildly
North America has felt the sting of inflation over the past few years. But for the trucking industry, it’s been a double whammy: an extended freight recession layered on top of rising costs across nearly every line item. Numbers and research tell a story. According to ATRI’s 2025 Operational Costs of Trucking report, the average cost to operate a truck dipped slightly to $2.26 per mile last
For the first time in its 21-year history, “driver shortage” didn’t crack the Top 10 overall concerns in the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry survey. So why do recruiting and retention still appear to be challenges for fleets? A freight market sending mixed signals and a recruiting environment where the old playbook no longer applies don’t help. After four years of overcapacity and soft demand, driver
A year ago, we made five predictions about where the trucking industry was headed in 2025. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, let’s see how they played out. 1. Market recovery without a boom. Verdict: ❌ As it turns out, even our tempered expectations were too optimistic. The anticipated rebound hasn’t materialized. Overcapacity remains stubbornly persistent, and freight volumes have stayed soft throughout the year. The sector continues what analysts describe as
Coming into 2025, there was widespread expectation that the freight market would finally turn a corner. Instead, uncertainty has reigned supreme. Would-be turnarounds in rates and volumes have been brief false starts, leaving the trucking industry to wonder whether we are approaching an uncomfortable new reality where stagnation becomes the default state. As 2025 winds down, several prominent topics have grabbed attention, from regulatory crackdowns to long-awaited policy changes.
During the freight recession that’s plagued the trucking industry since April 2022, a huge problem has been excess capacity. The number of for-hire carriers in the market has grown precipitously over the last several years, with a massive increase in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. According to SONAR data, the total number of
Nearly a year ago, industry analysts declared the “Great Freight Recession” over. Tender rejections were climbing, spot rates showed signs of life, and capacity appeared to be tightening. The second Trump administration fueled optimism about pro-trucking policies from Washington. 2025 hasn’t delivered on that promise. Back-and-forth tariff announcements and negotiations have created uncertainty across supply
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial drivers officially took effect on June 25, but enforcement has been anything but consistent. Carriers now face a confusing patchwork of state-level approaches, uncertain inspection standards, and evolving federal guidance. If your drivers aren’t prepared, those inconsistencies can lead
There was a time when dash cameras were optional for fleets. If operations were running safely, cameras weren’t absolutely necessary. Those days are over. Dash cams and video telematics are now essential tools for modern fleets. They reduce risk, cut insurance costs, improve driver behavior, and protect carriers from costly litigation. The hardware and software
AI became a household term in late 2022 when ChatGPT was introduced to the public. Since then, artificial intelligence has exploded across freight tech. From predictive maintenance and telematics to load boards, safety coaching, and document automation, there’s now a solution for nearly every role in the supply chain. But here’s the catch: just because