The American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index reached its highest level in three years in February 2026, posting a 2.6% month-over-month gain after a 0.7% increase in January. The February index reading reached 116.2, up from 113.3 in January, and represented a 2.1% year-over-year gain, the largest such increase since October 2022.

During the first two months of 2026, tonnage was up 1.4% compared to the same period in 2025. By April 2026, the index climbed further to 117.8, reflecting a 3.5% year-over-year gain, with the first four months of 2026 running 2.6% ahead of the same period last year.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello noted that while the size of February's gain may be partly amplified by tighter industry capacity, improving freight volumes following a prolonged freight recession represent a welcomed trend regardless. The index is calculated on surveys from ATA membership and is dominated by contract freight, not spot market freight.

Trucking accounts for 72.7% of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation. Motor carriers collected $906 billion in revenue in 2024, representing 76.9% of total revenue earned by all US transport modes combined.

Source: American Trucking Associations -- https://www.trucking.org/news-insights/ata-truck-tonnage-index-surged-26-february