Market Conditions

The trucking industry’s “driver shortage” debate has persisted for decades. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) claims a chronic shortage since 1987, citing nine studies. Yet, researchers and industry experts argue the labor market functions well when freight demand is strong. A December 2024 study by Professors Jonathan Phares, Jason Miller, and Stephen Burks, published by […]

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is intensifying enforcement of English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards, signaling major operational changes for the trucking industry. As of today, June 25, 2025, drivers who fail to meet these requirements face immediate grounding, potentially straining trucking capacity, increasing tender rejections, and driving up national truckload rates. FreightWaves estimates […]

Market chaos reigns supreme: tariffs, trucking authorities, and tender rejections spell uncertainty for the start of April.

Independent owner-operator pay rose in 2024 but not by a lot, according to the president of ATBS.

The freight market is tightening as we come to the end of February. What does tha mean fo owner0ops?

Rejection rate highs are getting higher, which means there is more potential for a significant softening that may feel like a full regression to some.