🎣 2026 Freight Predictions (Print Preview)

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FreightCaviar Print is our quarterly print magazine focused on long-form reporting, original interviews, and market analysis.

2026 Freight Market Predictions

If “unpredictability” were the freight industry’s word of the year, 2025 aced the test.

Tariffs rewrote trade lanes. Enforcement tightened. Fraud reached new levels of creativity.

For the December edition of FreightCaviar Print, we asked 8 respected voices in freight to call their shot on what they believe will define the U.S. freight market in 2026.

Below is a preview from the magazine.

Dan Manshaem (Founder & CEO, Ally Logistics)

A Dangerous Fraud Cocktail

The fraud problem will continue to grow in 2026 to the point where it may become existential for many companies. AI advances, non-domicile CDL enforcement, and weak demand create a dangerous mix. Brokers without strong digital risk-mitigation strategies will be especially vulnerable.

Tim Higham (President & CEO, AscendTMS)

Flat Is the New Up

I expect flat rates and lower volumes again in 2026, possibly alongside a recession.
If capacity tightens meaningfully due to enforcement actions, flat rates may actually be a win. Any real upside must come from the supply side — not demand.

Dean Croke (Principal Analyst, DAT)

Regulation as a Market Filter

Stricter CDL requirements, training standards, and enforcement will continue to make it harder for fraudulent or non-compliant operators to survive.
If demand improves, these changes could meaningfully tighten capacity and improve overall market conditions.

Steve Cox (President, Steam Logistics)

AI or Die

Margin compression isn’t temporary — it’s structural.
AI will determine which brokerages can operate profitably at lower margins. Falling behind in AI adoption is a strategic vulnerability that’s difficult to recover from.

Samantha Jones (Owner, Samantha Jones Consulting)

Housing Is the Domino

Residential construction and home sales drive massive trucking demand — from building materials to furniture and appliances.
A true freight recovery likely begins when housing activity returns.

This is an excerpt from the December print edition.

The remaining predictions (including insights from Will Jenkins, Jennifer Morris, David Spencer, and Bogdan Kruzhinskiy) are available in the December print edition.

📦 December FreightCaviar Print Edition - Shipping Now

The December issue of FreightCaviar Print is available now, and we have a limited number of copies remaining.

Orders ship within a few days of purchase.

This issue includes:

• Full 2026 freight market predictions
• Long-form interviews
• Original reporting you won’t find online

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