Packaging Paper Shipments Rise 4% Signals Industrial Recovery
Another proof point that the industrial recovery is underway and the strength in freight isn’t just capacity. Packaging paper shipments are up 4% YoY https://t.co/rGPd8dyncF
Domestic Manufacturing Essential to End Global Supply Chain Disadvantage
Unfortunately, this is true. And the whole reason we must bring manufacturing back from China. We are at a massive disadvantage as long as our supply chains are global.
US Gas Prices Set to Remain Flat Amid Logistics Limits
This is an amazing primer that explains the natural gas market and why prices are likely to stay flat or fall in the US, despite a global shortage and surging global prices. As Greg states - the limitation is one...
Get Natural Gas Straight From the Permian
Want natural gas? Come to the Permian and just take it. No really, I’m serious.
Higher Oil Prices Trigger Gas Flood, Lower Prices
Natural gas is nearly considered exhaust fluid by US oil drillers, but it is the backbone of the American plastics and petrochemicals industry. Oil is used far less than natgas in American chems or plastics. Natgas has an inverse pricing...
Bulk Rail Growth Unlinked to Diesel Prices, Not Mode‑Shift
The strength of bulk rail in Q1 has little to do with the high price of diesel. Chemical shipments had their largest month on record in February 2026 before it was broken in March. Grains actually had a bigger month...
6% of Active Truck Drivers Likely to Fail Drug Test
6% of active truck drivers would fail a drug test according to a study by the Trucking Alliance
FreightWaves Launches Daily Freight News TV Show
FreightWaves is launching a new TV show, FreightWaves Today, that will cover daily stories from trucking, rail, air, barge, and ocean. SportsCenter meets Bloomberg, but for freight https://t.co/ugYCXSUVy2
Cheap US Gas Fuels Plastics Boom, Boosts Manufacturing
US natural gas prices have dropped by 30% over the past year, even as global natural gas prices have increased substantially in wake of the war in Iran. Why? We have an abundance. 80% of American made plastics and 80-90% of...
US Petrochemical Edge Fueled by 30% Gas Price Drop
America dominates in petrochemicals because of the robust supply of natural gas (where prices have dropped (and continue) by 30% in the past year
U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance Fuels Record Freight Volumes
The American Manufacturing Renaissance is happening. We are now getting confirmation from multiple freight and supply chain datasets that the industrial recovery is real and manufacturing is on course to enjoy one of the best markets in years. The...
BoA Survey Confirms Real Freight Market Recovery
BoA’s shipper survey is one of the most reliable datasets to monitor the health of the freight market. In March 2022, it signaled the collapse in the freight market, alongside SONAR’s data. At the time, there was massive skeptism about the...
ATA Records Highest Tonnage in Three Years Amid Contract Surge
ATA, which survey's their members on tonnage data, reported the highest level in three years. We discussed the spot market carriers and how strong their markets are; the ATA members tend to operate in the contract market, which is seeing...
US Freight Rail Hits Best Start Since 2019
American Assn of Railroads April report was very strong, showing signs of industrial recovery: "US freight rail traffic posted some of its strongest readings in years, offering one of the clearest signals yet that the goods economy is regaining...
Flatbed Spot Rates Outpace Diesel Costs Since March
Duke is wrong. Spot rates have shot up way past the cost of diesel. Flatbed spot rates are up $.73/mile since March 1st. Diesel costs are up $.25/mile since March 1st. Flatbed carriers are +$.48/mile since March 1st. https://t.co/3sbGlP4BmJ
Europe's War Reluctance Grows Amid China Economic Ties
If Europe wouldn't assist in a war with a regime that every leader has condemned that has been left nearly powerless, there is little chance they would support a war against China where strong economic and supply chain dependancies exist
Freight Leads, Payrolls Follow: Industrial Recovery Confirmed
Freight signals move first with payrolls to follow, confirming that the industrial recovery is real The freight charts are showing COVID like strength, all thanks to manufacturing
Truckers Leverage Pricing Power, Spot Rates Outpace Fuel Costs
Lots of questions about whether the surge in diesel is the reason trucking spot rates are also surging. First off, truckers are able to pass off the increased cost of fuel because they have pricing power. This is caused by...
Wars Boost US Freight Demand and Economy
Unpopular opinion. Wars are good for the American economy. Freight demand across all modes is ripping and firming up in recent weeks. https://t.co/RUvpTXWcFl
Rail Carloads Jump 4.2% Amid Broad Freight Surge
Freight volume surge is not just a trucking story. Industrials are ripping across traffic modes Rail carload traffic +4.2% YoY The recent traffic strength has caught rail execs off guard which expected a down to flat year. https://t.co/a6UpG8CwWp
Manufacturing Demand Drives Flatbed Rates to Record High
Flatbeds surge to all time high of $3.95/mile as industrials rip. I would have never guessed this possible with a weak housing construction market, but here we are. Manufacturing pulling the freight market up. https://t.co/1ErbIQE0QL
Ignore Noise, See Strong Economy and Industrial Recovery
Ignore the noise and focus on the signal. Our economy is doing well and industrials are recovering.
Retail Diesel up Slightly While Wholesale Prices Decline
Despite the surge in oil prices on Thursday, retail diesel only went up $.06/gallon overnight to $5.48/gallon. This will cost truckers $.01/mile more for fuel. Interestingly, the rack price (wholesale price for diesel) has actually dropped over the past ten...
SONAR Maps Now Feature Quick Top‑Pick Datasets
New enhancements to the SONAR maps. Rather than digging through the thousands of datasets, we have added these as quick "top picks." https://t.co/iFOfqpZLDM
Supply Chains Shift to Redundant, Costlier Model
"Supply chains will have to pivot from "just-in-time" efficiency back to "just-in-case" redundancy. Inflation returns as safety costs money. Trade routes diversify away from vulnerable chokepoints. The global friction tax becomes permanent."
FMCSA Official to Reveal New Freight Fraud Crackdown
The speaker roster for the Freight Fraud event in Cleveland just got even better. We will have a senior official from the FMCSA to speak about the efforts that the regulators are making to stop freight fraud and cargo crime....
Legal Language Mandates Shutdown Load, but Never Enforced
The confirmation sheet says plant shutdown load and mentions contingent liability, but the shipper said they’d never enforce that language. It’s just required by legal.
Fuel Discount Programs Offer Historic Rack‑to‑Retail Savings
If you are a motor carrier and aren't buying fuel on a discount program, get one today. Rack to retail discount near historical highs. https://t.co/dPpwT6v2cE
Corporate Control Stifles Profitable Editorial Top‑of‑funnel
Been saying this for years, but it rarely works out. It is a very profitable way to generate top of funnel for a non-media business, but corporates struggle to let editorial teams maintain their autonomy. Hopefully it works, but often...
Retail Diesel Rises, but Less Sharply than WTI
WTI is important for diesel pricing, but retail diesel is set on on ULSD heating oil contract traded n NYMEX, which already saw these levels over last 10 days. Retail diesel will move up in price, but nearly as dramatic...
Enforced $50K Penalty Could Deter Hiring Revoked CDLs
The $50k employer penalty for hiring revoked CDLs is a big deterrent, assuming it gets enforced https://t.co/z0Mw4dFKAt
Overbidding to Lose Business Can Unexpectedly Boost Volumes
Hearing that RFP season is chaotic for shippers. A mega fleet CEO told me that they wanted to get rid of a block of business that didn’t fit their network, so they bid 30% higher than the market rate, expecting...
SONAR Thrives with Deep Logistics Analytics Amid Market Squeeze
In markets like this one, companies understand the value of high frequency market analysis, backed by the deepest team of market experts in logistics. Alternative data platforms are failing clients in a tightening market. This is why SONAR just had...
Higher Prices Won’t Leave Americans Without Energy
This is correct. Americans will pay higher prices, but aren't going to run out of energy.
Truckers Wield Pricing Power as Diesel Costs Rise
Trucking capacity remains extremely tight, with tender rejections hitting 15.47%, a new cycle high. All eyes on diesel, where prices could jump $.40/gallon, costing truckers $.06/mile. The good news is that truckers have major pricing power and are able to...
Regulators Need Field Presence: FMCSA Moves to Chattanooga
This makes a ton of sense. The regulators should be in the field. FMCSA to Chattanooga?
Truckers Profit as Spot Rates Outpace Diesel Surge
Truckers just came off the strongest quarter in years. They are happy to pay the higher diesel, so long as they get to enjoy the much higher rates that are currently being painted in the market. 80% of...
Compliance Crackdown Cuts Drivers, Fleet Growth Stalls
This checks out. It doesn't tell us about total truck counts which have been falling since peaking in April 2025. The compliance crackdown has been far more effective in getting drivers off the road, but not doing the same with...
Indiana's Freight Market Evolution: Indy Ranks 9th Nationwide
It is important to watch how this shapes freight markets in Indiana. Indianapolis is the 9th largest trucking market in the US. https://t.co/ltctV6fb43
Force Chinese OEMs to US Production, Transfer IP
I think we should rip a page from the Chinese playbook and tell Chinese OEMs if they want to sell to American consumers, they must open up production in the US with an American OEM. As part of that arrangement,...
Immersive 400-Year Walk Through History at Motion Museum
The Motion Museum will have more than a dozen model layouts, but our flagship will be a walk through time, featuring scenes from the past 400 years. Our designer helped to launch the first Rain Forest Cafe, Ripley's, and Caesar Forum...
Shippers Face Prolonged Rate Increases as Supply Tightens
Shippers should prepare for higher rates for longer, according to investment firm SIG. "Tender rejections and spot rates have been supported by tightening supply, a dynamic we expect to continue building over the next several years."
Railroads Shift From Coal to Profitable Intermodal Networks
Coal used to be the lifeblood of the railroads, but over the past twenty years, the railroads have repositioned their networks around intermodal. Intermodal is far more profitable for the railroads. https://t.co/2oXyYJGqDN
Rising Energy Costs Outperform Tariffs in Reducing Trade Deficit
Higher energy prices will do far more to balance the trade deficit than tariffs could ever dream of.
Tax Incentives Boost Industrial Activity, Freight Data Confirms
It makes sense that industrials have been ramping over the last few months. The One Big Beautiful Bill provided one of the biggest tax incentive packages in history to drive manufacturing investments. The freight data suggests it is working as...
Higher Spot Rates Signal Strength, Not Bearishness
We get asked this often. Why is DAT so bearish? We’ve been trying to understand it as well. Here are the blog headlines from the flatbed market over the past few months. It’s doom and gloom. DAT’s data suggests the opposite. The...
Fund FMCSA, Enforce Rules to Stop Truck Fatalities
15 people die from accidents involving heavy duty trucks. The fix is obvious: fund the FMCSA and enforce the rules to get bad actors off our roads
March Trucking Spot Rates Jump $0.48 to $3.18 per Mile
Trucking spot rates finish +$.48/mile for March on the daily. They started at $2.70/mile on March 1 and finish off at $3.18/mile. https://t.co/C4NHcEJZyJ
1980s Trucking Paid So Well, Reps Got Company Cars
How do you know that trucking was more lucrative in the 1980's? This was every truckload sales rep was issued as their company car https://t.co/DaCeK0AGVA
Flatbed Freight Hits Historic Volumes, Half Loads Rejected
CNBC: Recent freight charts mirror the COVID surge Flatbeds, which are almost always industrials or raw materials, are seeing some of the strongest volumes and rate strength in history with half of all flatbed truckloads turned down by motor carriers. https://t.co/70Idw1v0UM
