While demand trends are mixed and the outlook remains cloudy, capacity continues to contract, according to the latest release of the Freight Forecast: Rate and Volume OUTLOOK report from ACT Research.
“Class 8 tractor production is on track to decline about 35% from 1H to 2H this year, to a rate several thousand trucks per month below what is needed to maintain the fleet size,” according to Tim Denoyer, ACT Research’s Vice President and Senior Analyst. “In our view, lower capacity in an otherwise stable demand environment could move the cycle forward and actually create for-hire demand by reversing the insourcing of recent years. But this will take time.
“The recent trends in our ACT Driver Availability Index suggests the driver market is no longer loose, but not yet tight. This index, from a survey of medium and large fleets, needed to fall below 40 the last two cycles before rates responded. The new rules on nondomiciled drivers could tighten driver capacity over the next one-to-two years, but heavy truck tariff costs are starting to constrain equipment capacity,” Denoyer concluded.
The monthly 61-page ACT Freight Forecast report provides analysis and forecasts for a broad range of U.S. freight measures, including the Cass Freight Index, Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, and DAT spot and contract rates by trailer type for the U.S. and Canada.
Geotab debuts AI dashcam
Geotab recently announced the launch of the GO Focus Plus AI dash cam and its new video intelligence platform.
The company said this dual-facing dash cam is designed to address a critical industry need by delivering proactive, in-cab voice support that helps drivers self-correct risky habits.
In a recent large pilot, the voice coaching functionality helped reduce tailgating by 90% and phone use by 95%, according to a statement from Geotab.
Trucking company among ALAN honorees
The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) recently announced the 2025 recipients of its Humanitarian Logistics Awards.
This year’s honorees include:
- Continental Logistics, which received ALAN’s Outstanding Contribution To Disaster Relief Award
- Fleet Advantage, which received ALAN’s Employee Engagement Award
- Niagara Cares, which received ALAN’s Employee Engagement Award
- Partners Warehouse, a Flex Logistics company, which received ALAN’s Outstanding Contribution To Disaster Relief Award
- Dr. Burcu Balçik of Ozyegin University, who received ALAN’s Research And Academic Contributions Award
- ALAN’s founders, who received ALAN’s Lifetime Achievement Award
New Jersey-based Continental Logistics earned its award for providing $11,000 worth of the pro bono transportation that was needed to deliver donated goods to numerous food banks, community centers and other humanitarian organizations that served more than 173,000 individuals after Hurricane Helene, the Los Angeles wildfires and other disasters.
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