Trucking activity in the United States edged 0.3% higher in March 2026 after a 2.9% surge in February, according to the American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index released April 21, 2026. The March index reached 117.0, representing the largest year-over-year gain since October 2022 at 3% above the same month in 2025.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello noted the first quarter of 2026 was the strongest performance since the third quarter of 2017 when measuring both sequential and year-over-year results together. Tonnage in the first three months of 2026 ran 2.1% above the same period last year. The index had been flat throughout 2025 compared to the 2024 annual average.

The not seasonally adjusted index, which captures raw changes in tonnage hauled, reached 120.1 in March, 12% above February's reading of 107.3, reflecting a broad seasonal rebound. Trucks represented 72.7% of all tonnage carried by domestic freight transportation modes in 2024. Motor carriers hauled 11.27 billion tons of freight that year and collected $906 billion, accounting for 76.9% of total revenue earned across all transportation modes. The industry employed approximately 8.4 million people, including 3.58 million commercial truck drivers.

Source: American Trucking Associations -- https://www.trucking.org/news-insights/ata-truck-tonnage-index-edged-03-higher-march