US truck tonnage posted consecutive monthly gains in early 2026, according to industry data tracking freight movement by weight across the national trucking network. The American Trucking Associations Truck Tonnage Index, which measures the volume of freight moved by for-hire carriers, reflects the broader market tightening that shippers and carriers have reported since late 2025.

Truckload tender rejection rates, a key indicator of how often carriers turn down freight at contracted rates, stayed elevated through the first quarter of 2026. Analysts interpret persistent rejection rates above 5% as a signal that demand is outpacing available capacity. The ratio reached levels last seen during the freight surge of 2021, though the current cycle is more measured.

Spot market rates continued climbing as shippers unable to secure contract capacity turned to the open market. Rates per mile on major lanes running from the Midwest to the Southeast, one of the highest-volume freight corridors in the country, reached their highest point in two years.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported freight transportation employment also increased in the first quarter, with motor carrier payrolls adding net positions for the third straight month. Analysts project the freight cycle will remain in an expansionary phase through the third quarter of 2026 barring a significant shift in consumer demand or fuel pricing.

Source: American Trucking Associations -- https://www.trucking.org/news-insights