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Economic trends

Business
Border freight eases, capacity remains tight
Cross-border freight conditions is easing slightly, but tight capacity and trade policy complicate planning.
October 6, 2026
Green highway sign directing commercial trucks to International Border with downward arrow
Economic trends
Regulatory uncertainty muddies Class 8 order season
With the EPA 2027 NOx pre-buy over, attention turns to MY 2027 engine choices, costs and OEM compliance strategies.
October 5, 2026
Blue Freightliner semi-truck with white trailer driving on highway surrounded by green trees
Sponsor Content
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Shell Lubricants
October 1, 2026
See how large fleets handle new freight challenges.
Freight demand
Spot vs. contract: Diverging freight rates and squeezed volume
The latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index reveals that while contract rates climbed through the summer, spot rates moderated and shipment volumes dropped.
October 1, 2026
Industrial logistics yard with semi-trucks and colorful shipping containers under clear blue sky
Freight demand
How new regulations and AI are driving a permanent freight market shift
Experts say higher freight rates are here to stay for a while because federal regulations have tightened capacity and shifted the trajectory of the industry. They noted that technology, especially AI, will play an important role in keeping shippers, carriers and brokers profitable.
October 1, 2026
Four business professionals participate in a panel discussion on stage beneath a Trimble company logo backdrop with yellow geometric design elements.
Freight demand
Freight redistribution drives supply chain stability, report says
Geotab’s inaugural Health of U.S. Supply Chain report analyzed data from the activity of more than 6 million commercial vehicles across long-haul, regional, hub-and-spoke, last-mile and drayage.
September 29, 2026
Semi-truck with red shipping container on stylized street map background
Economic trends
Diesel tops $6.50 a gallon as truck capacity stays tight
Diesel just hit a new record, and it's shaping freight costs.
September 23, 2026
Fleet of white commercial semi-trucks parked at an industrial warehouse facility
Economic trends
Truck tonnage down for second consecutive month
ATA's Truck Tonnage Index has fallen in four of the last five months after big gains were observed to begin the year. Also: Iowa relaxes weight regs for ag haulers; truck driver arrested for alleged cargo theft.
September 23, 2026
ATA Truck Tonnage Index chart showing August 2026 data with 0.5% decline, tracking seasonal tonnage trends from 2022-2026
Freight demand
Regulatory reset and compliance standards drive up trucking costs
Driven by intensive federal regulatory enforcement and stricter compliance standards, the U.S. trucking market is transitioning from abundant capacity to a more expensive, verified standard of defensible capacity.
September 22, 2026
Red and silver semi-truck with refrigerated trailer parked on road under large green trees
Economic trends
Trailer orders surge in August, fueled by replacement demand
August trailer orders jumped more than 40% from July, but both ACT and FTR say the real story is what a weak 2025 makes 2026 look like.
September 21, 2026
Row of white commercial trailers parked in a dirt lot under clear blue sky
Economic trends
Supply constraints drive freight rate surge
Freight shipments just ended a 42-month slump, but it's tightening capacity, not demand, pushing rates higher.
September 18, 2026
Fleet of white commercial semi-trucks parked outside industrial warehouse facility
Economic trends
Peak season looks different as capacity crunch builds
Diesel prices, tariff whiplash, and capacity constraints are reshaping this year's peak season.
September 17, 2026
Red semi-truck with white trailer driving on highway with motion blur and green trees in background
Freight demand
Diesel spike, political turmoil send auto haulers's costs soaring
A sudden surge in diesel prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drove car hauler carrier pay up 22.8% and consumer vehicle shipping costs up 14.6% in early 2026, ending two years of flat pricing.
September 16, 2026
White semi-truck with car carrier trailer transporting multiple vehicles on city street
Economic trends
Soaring diesel prices and tight capacity set rate floor after holiday dip
Tighter capacity and a modest improvement in demand are likely to keep upward pressure on freight rates over the next 12 to 18 months.
September 15, 2026
Semi-trucks parked under blue and red canopy at commercial truck stop facility
Freight demand
XPO, ArcBest report tonnage growth
One carrier is shipping more freight, the other heavier freight. A look at how XPO and ArcBest's August tonnage gains stack up.
September 9, 2026
XPO Logistics white semi-truck with branded trailer parked near waterfront with clear blue sky
Freight demand
Surging diesel and tightening capacity continue to push rates higher
Even as freight demand lagged behind last year's levels, a pre-holiday capacity squeeze and spike in fuel surcharges pushed spot market rates up across every trailer category ahead of the peak fall shipping season.
September 9, 2026
Industrial warehouse facility with loading dock, delivery trucks, and wooden pallets stacked in the yard
Economic trends
Pre-buy rush runs its course as Class 8 orders cool in August
The pre-buy rush is over. Class 8 orders slipped in August, and OEMs are now bracing for 2027 emissions pricing and engine decisions.
September 8, 2026
Peterbilt semi-truck with chrome details and red oval logo badge on polished metal exterior
Freight demand
Old Dominion, Saia seeing strong revenue and tonnage growth
Two of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers are seeing revenue and tonnage growth despite mixed shipment volume.
September 4, 2026
Fleet of white semi-trucks lined up at sunset with reflections on wet pavement
Economic trends
Is a real diesel shortage brewing? FTR analysts assess economic risk
Diesel inventories hit a low for 2026, below even the lowest point in 2022, when watchers warned of extremely low stocks. Demand for U.S. petroleum exports drives it with world access to Middle East oil hampered by war. Don't count on the AI data center construction boom to solve that problem.
September 1, 2026
Highway traffic scene with semi-trucks and passenger vehicles on a multi-lane road under clear blue sky
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Top Stories
Fleet of commercial semi-trucks parked under illuminated canopy at truck stop during dusk
Equipment
Fuel tax relief proposals languish in Congress with prices breaking records
Federal proposals to suspend gas and diesel taxes have stalled in Congress.
Man in navy suit standing beside blue truck at public event with crowd holding phones
Industry
Trump at Peterbilt: American trucking is back. Rid of 'crap' emissions systems
Industrial logistics yard with semi-trucks and colorful shipping containers under clear blue sky
Freight demand
Spot vs. contract: Diverging freight rates and squeezed volume
Orange and white International flatbed truck backed up to loading dock with caution sign visible
CCJ Top 250
Schneider slashes 76% of carriers from its brokerage network
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Survival Guide for Smarter Fleets
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