Truckload carriers eyeing multiyear rate upcycle
Key takeaways
- (Photo: Jim Allen/Freight Waves) Todd Maiden Thu, June 11, 2026 at 9:42 PM GMT+7 5 min read.
- The capacity levers being pulled continue to favor large carriers.
- Federal authorities are more strictly enforcing cabotage rules and revoking visas.
Truckload carriers eyeing multiyear rate upcycle “Based on our experience, there aren’t 50,000 carriers in this country that you could vet and say that they’re safe,” said Jim Filter, Schneider group president of transportation and logistics, at an investor conference on Tuesday. (Photo: Jim Allen/Freight Waves) Todd Maiden Thu, June 11, 2026 at 9:42 PM GMT+7 5 min read. The truckload market appears poised for a prolonged period of rate hikes, as the upcycle has just gotten underway. A pronounced shift in truck capacity is benefiting large, well-capitalized carriers, while posing significant risks to shippers that failed to foster sustainable partnerships during the multiyear freight recession.
The capacity levers being pulled continue to favor large carriers. It started last year with stricter enforcement of non-domiciled CDL rules and English-language proficiency requirements, and crackdowns on shady driver schools and ELD providers.
Capacity constraints have ramped in recent weeks. Federal authorities are more strictly enforcing cabotage rules and revoking visas. Further, the impact the Supreme Court’s broker liability ruling has on driver vetting and insurance requirements is still being contemplated across the industry.