Outlook and Benchmarking

Economic trends

Tariffs trigger pre-buy behavior, analysts warn of steep freight decline

Analysts say that tariffs are driving pre-buy activity, triggering economic distortions and freight volatility.

May 14, 2025

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Report forecasts moderate growth in 2025, amid holiday risks and shifts in retail strategies

Motive's latest report predicts moderate growth in early 2025, highlighting rising safety risks, cargo theft and fraud, nearshoring trends, and shifting retail inventory strategies.

October 31, 2024

Motive holiday outlook report

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Knight-Swift, ODFL buckle on improved pricing as weak freight market takes toll on earnings

The two carriers are focused on long-term pricing strategies and operational improvements, positioning for recovery and growth amidst economic headwinds.

October 29, 2024

Truckload breakeven price jumps, poised to increase in 2025

Cost factors have evolved in the past year. Though fuel costs have decreased, driver wages, lease/purchase prices, and maintenance costs have risen.

October 25, 2024

Truckload costs

Outlook and Benchmarking

ATRI’s analysis on the operational costs of trucking in 2024

With the American Transportation Research Institute's annual Operational Costs of Trucking report, the organization also offered insights into early-2024 trends and projections for the rest of the year.

August 9, 2024

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Fleet earnings Q4 2023: Carriers feel the impetus of freight market recession

Amid ongoing freight market challenges, carriers demonstrate resilience and adeptly navigate a tough climate.

March 4, 2024

A look at the rundown on the earnings of major publicly traded carriers during Q4 2023.

Political analyst Charlie Cook shares Biden's uphill battle to re-election

In the United States, every presidential election is unique. But that doesn’t mean election trends don’t exist.

February 2, 2024

President Joe Biden speaking at a Mack Trucks facility

Economic trends

Trucking bankruptcies expected to continue in the foreseeable future

Industry bankruptcy experts say financial distress at the hands of multiple factors has caused an uptick in bankruptcy cases among trucking and logistics companies of all sizes.

December 27, 2023

Pen signing a contract

Outlook and Benchmarking

Higher fuel prices 'may persist for a while'

Various factors are converging to drive up the cost of diesel and gasoline including summer heat which has slowed refinery production.

August 2, 2023

Diesel Pump Filling Up

Cost of trucking hit record high last year, passes $2/mile for the first time

Marginal costs for trucking companies ballooned 21.3% last year over 2021 to $2.251 per mile, surpassing the $2 per mile mark for the first time in the history of ATRI’s operational cost report.

June 21, 2023

A $100 bill on fire

Rate pressure, operating costs continue to thwart a trucking recovery

Age rather than size dictates the likelihood of carrier failures, says Jason Miller, Michigan State market expert. Watch his trucking prognostication based on a fresh set of data in this month's episode of CCJ MarketPulse.

May 22, 2023

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Manufacturing slowdown, interest rates continue to squeeze freight market

Is trucking near the bottom of the soft freight cycle? Michigan State's transportation expert Jason Miller shares his thoughts on this month's episode of CCJ MarketPulse.

April 24, 2023

CCJ marketpulse april 2023

Outlook and Benchmarking

Will 2023 be the 'best recession ever'?

Are we heading into the best recession ever? According to the economists at this week's 2023 TRALA Annual Meeting, it's all in the way that you look at it.

April 3, 2023

Sarah Moore, TRALA Annual Meeting

Outlook and Benchmarking

Declining fuel prices threatened as OPEC hits 'a tough spot,' IRA imposes oil tax and refineries cash in on renewable diesel

Fuel prices have been dropping but experts warn that it may not last for long as OPEC considers cutting production and the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act gears up for an oil tax.

August 24, 2022

CEFCO fuel prices sign

Outlook and Benchmarking

Chinese ire over Taiwan could lead to 'devastating' microchip and rare earth metal shortages

Worrisome supply lines of microchips and rare earth metals used in EV motors may be further at risk following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial trip to Taiwan, which prompted a sullen China to engage in military drills that are impeding commerce.

August 4, 2022

Navistar's newest truck plant in San Antonio, Texas builds all-electric and conventional trucks which require microchips and rare earth metals sourced overseas.

Trucking market offers supply chain some stability

All-in-all the industry – as fragmented as it is – consistently answers the bell by keeping equipment capacity high.

June 1, 2022

shipping yard of containers

What gets measured gets managed

Instead of suffering through the pain and aggravation of running SAE/TMC Type II, III and IV testing for fuel economy, why not document and develop a SAE/TMC Type V fuel economy recommended practice?

May 16, 2022

man in service pit

Alternative power

Alt fuel industry looks to 'perfect storm' to help spur fleet interest

Alt fuel supporters are looking to a 560% uptick in federal funding, heavy investments from OEMs and utilities, credit programs and tougher government regulations to help increase fleet interest in green powertrains.

May 12, 2022

Alt fuel proponents have looked to the Ride n' Drive event at ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif. as another way to help attract more fleets to green powertrains. Fleet operators lined up for two hours Tuesday and three hours Wednesday to take a spin. An all-time high of 43 trucks and vans were on display with 16 of those available for Ride and Drive. This year's expo easily broke attendance records with 8,300 accounted for by Tuesday, a 60% jump from last year. Due to its surge in growth, next year's expo will be held at the convention center in nearby Anaheim.

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Hub Group's acquisition of Marten Intermodal more than doubles the intermodal giant's temp-controlled business.

Hub Group acquires Marten's intermodal business

Marten Intermodal acquisition will increase Hub Group's refrigerated container count by 1,200 units, more than doubling the company's temp-controlled capacity.

Schneider is the only carrier that operates a single-rail cross-border intermodal solution and has rapidly grown its intermodal market share of cross-border freight between the United States and Mexico, while setting industry benchmarks in speed, security and reliability on the CPKC rail network.

Schneider's business is booming at the border

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Truckload market recovery slows amid freight volatility

Trump’s emissions rollback: What motor carriers & private fleets must know

Download the free ebook to start building a safer fleet.

Download the free ebook to start building a safer fleet.

Get all the info on the top 250 trucking companies in America

View, sort and download the trucking industry’s most comprehensive ranking of for-hire carriers in North America, based on a blend of metrics including fleet size, annual revenue and number of drivers.

In House or Outsourced Maintenance

The decision between bringing fleet maintenance in-house versus outsourcing is a pivotal one that could significantly affect your operations.