US for-hire truck freight volume returned to its strongest level in three years during early 2026, according to the American Trucking Associations. The group's seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index reached 117.8 in April, a 3.5% gain from a year earlier and the highest reading since the fall of 2022.

The recovery built through the opening months of the year. The index rose 2.6% year over year in February, climbed to 117 in March for a 3% annual gain, then held near its peak in April. Across the first four months of 2026, tonnage ran 2.6% above the same period in 2025, and the measure has advanced 4.7% since the end of last year.

The tonnage index tracks the physical weight of freight hauled by for-hire carriers each month, giving a read on volume that is independent of pricing. Trucking remains the backbone of domestic goods movement, accounting for 72.7% of all freight tonnage in the United States. Carriers moved 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024 and generated about $906 billion in revenue, according to ATA figures.

The rebound follows a weak 2025 marked by soft demand and excess capacity. The steady climb through 2026 points to firming conditions as shippers return to the market and available truck capacity tightens.

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