The Transportation Market Has Turned Again

The U.S. transportation market is changing again as trucking capacity tightens, freight rates rise, and record diesel prices alter the electric truck equation.

Sep 30, 2026

What is the current state of the transportation market?

The title of a Wall Street Journal article published a few days ago sums it up nicely: “The Cost of Transporting Pretty Much Everything Just Won’t Stop Going Up.”

“Trucking expenses are at their highest level since the Covid pandemic snarled operations around the world,” the authors report. “Diesel prices are up 77% in the past year. Freight railroads are adding surcharges. And the nation’s busiest port is the busiest it’s ever been. There’s virtually no way for businesses to avoid paying more, and they’re passing on the pain to consumers.”

Remember the freight recession? Yeah, that was so 2024.

When I think of the transportation market, I often find myself singing (in my head, of course) this lyric from one of my favorite Oingo Boingo songs: “We close our eyes and the world has turned around again.”

Based on data from ATA, DAT, and others, freight demand remains relatively soft and uneven. Freight capacity, however, has tightened significantly this year. A big factor has been…

The First Half of 2026: What’s Changed, What’s Worked, and What’s Next

The first half of 2026 has been anything but predictable. Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, AI advancements, changing transportation market conditions, and other developments have created new challenges — and new opportunities — for supply chain organizations. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we’d like to understand what has had the greatest impact on your organization, what has surprised you, where you’ve made the most progress, and what priorities will shape the months ahead.

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