Economic trends

Trailer demand surges to record highs

Lower trailer build rates and a jump in end-of-year factory shipments caused inventory levels to drop by 18% month-over-month.

January 27, 2023

lineup of dry van trailers

Truck tonnage ticked up to close out 2022

ATA reported truck tonnage was up slightly in December, while tonnage for the year increased 3.4% over 2021. Also: Shippers' conditions on the rise; California fleet orders 15 Nikola hydrogen fuel cell trucks; Xcell Logistics opens new Texas warehouse.

January 26, 2023

ATA Truck Tonnage Index December 2022

Supply chain correction helps put the 'worst of the inflation crisis behind us'

The price of lumber is down by roughly two-thirds over the last year, not far from its five-year average. Brent crude too, has fallen by roughly one-third since last summer along with shipping costs. Why? The supply chain adapts and overcomes.

January 18, 2023

truck hauling a container

Trucking conditions, while improved, remained negative in November

FTR's Trucking Conditions Index showed slight improvement in November. Also: Schneider gets eCascadia in SoCal intermodal operations; FMCSA denies driver's HOS exemption request; Mack unveils refreshed Granite model; Estes opens new Texas terminal.

January 19, 2023

FTR Trucking Conditions Index November 2022

Report forecasts 'surprising' strength in LTL freight for early 2023

Carriers are competing for more limited demand while searching for ways to claw back revenue.

January 18, 2023

pallet jacks in a warehouse

Rates end 2022 on a high note, signaling 'bottoming process' underway

While market conditions remain broadly loose, there are increasingly signs of slowing supply – a key to the bottoming process, according to experts.

January 17, 2023

Trucks at the dock

What should carriers expect from dry van and reefer rates in 2023?

After a turbulent year for many carriers working the spot market, it's time to look ahead further into 2023 to get an idea of where rates might go as the year progresses.

January 12, 2023

Maxresdefault 63c027549ef2d

FTR: Number of carriers will continue to fall as economy cools

“What is likely to happen is that we’re going to have some capacity loss,” Vise says. “As we lose drivers from these carriers that are failing, that is likely to be a driver population that we will lose.”

January 12, 2023

Truck orders end 2022 on sour note, but 'a solid end to a robust final four months of the year'

Large truck orders ended the year down 21% from November but up 25% from last December. Orders for the past 12 months total 302,000 units.

January 10, 2023

truck chassis spray paint

Gap between contract, spot rates narrowing

Shippers are trading lower contract rates for giving carriers more loads and better lane density.

January 2, 2023

truck backing into dock

Truck tonnage saw biggest monthly dip since pandemic began

ATA's Truck Tonnage Index fell 2.5% in November, the biggest monthly decrease since the start of the pandemic. Also: Winter storms prompt HOS waivers in four states; ContainerPort Group announces expansion; USPS plans to add EVs to fleet.

December 22, 2022

ATA Truck Tonnage Index November 2022

Trucking conditions fall to lowest point since April 2020

Sharp increases in fuel and financing costs in October drove FTR's Trucking Conditions Index to its lowest point since the beginning of COVID. Also: Wyoming propane haulers get HOS relief; Volvo, Daimler issue recalls

December 20, 2022

FTR October 2022 Trucking Conditions Index

Diesel price declines forecast to continue into 2023

Diesel price drops at the pump are expected to continue in 2023 as refinery production increases and wholesale and retail markups decline.

December 18, 2022

trucks at a fuel island

Truck orders tumble off record highs but 'resilient'

OEMs having opened their orderboards for 2023 more broadly, and ongoing pent-up demand — with tailwinds from strong carrier profitability and elevated fleet age — is keeping truck orders stoked.

December 6, 2022

Trucking equipment demand high despite booming interest rates

Carrier profits are the critical element in vehicle demand, and while profits next year are anticipated to be lower truckload net margins are projected to be the fourth best on record.

December 6, 2022

red truck on the road

Bill to avoid rail strike passes, heads to Biden's desk

The Senate on Thursday voted 80-15 to impose the tentative agreement brokered in September by the Biden administration, a day after the House passed the same measure.

December 1, 2022

House passes bill to avoid rail strike

The trucking industry is among the legions of concerned parties that have called on Congress to help avoid a rail worker strike that President Joe Biden says "would devastate our economy."

November 30, 2022

a truck drivers on the highway over a train track

Why is diesel getting so much more expensive than gasoline?

Lately, low inventories and worries about a harsh winter have caused a simmering panic to drive the price difference between gas and diesel well above norms. But for decades, diesel reliably cost less than gas.

November 29, 2022

Diesel selling at $2 above the price of regular unleaded gas

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ATA President and CEO Chris Spear

ATA's Spear talks congestion, driver shortage, more at Congressional hearing

ATA President and CEO was on a panel of industry reps during a hearing Wednesday of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Spear outlined some of trucking's biggest headwinds, including highway congestion, parking and more.

Freightliner SuperTruck II

Freightliner debuts second SuperTruck

FirstFleet trailers

FirstFleet creates nextgen in-cab driver experience

Mechanic tearing down an engine

Trucksmiths embracing change

door sticker drivers wanted

Pay a top factor for driver turnover but 'not always an amount issue'

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

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2023 Fleet Technology Trends Report

The 2023 Fleet Technology Trends Report reveals key data showing how GPS solutions are helping fleets overcome challenges, promote safety and streamline operations. Download the report to learn more.