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Trucking capacity tightens as freight rates stay near record highs
ACT Research’s June For-Hire Trucking Index showed freight rates at a seasonally adjusted 70.2, while the Capacity Index rose to 55.0, even as driver availability remains weak.
ACT Research says freight rates are holding near record levels, but truck capacity is shrinking as shippers look to expand volumes. The June For-Hire Trucking Index from the firm found rates remained in strong territory despite a monthly decline.
The Freight Rate Index fell 9.5 points month over month to 70.2 in June, down from May’s record 79.7, and still ranks among the highest readings in the survey’s nearly 17-year history. ACT Research attributed the tightening market balance to continued Class 8 tractor sales running below replacement levels and to new federal driver rules that squeeze the labor pool.
On the capacity side, the Capacity Index climbed 1.5 points to 55.0 in June, a 43-month high, driven by larger, well-run fleets signaling expansion rather than a broad rebound. ACT Research expects expansion to accelerate in the third and fourth quarters as spot rate gains flow into contract rates.
Driver availability edged up but remains depressed, with the Driver Availability Index at 34.1 in June versus 32.6 in May. ACT Research linked the underlying scarcity to FMCSA actions including nondomiciled CDL restrictions, tighter ELD and registration fraud enforcement, and driver school closures, and it cited fleet equipment purchase intentions holding flat at 47% of carriers planning purchases in the next three months, below the historical average of 53%.