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Freight brokerage says cycle shift began months before broad recognition
Overdrive Logistics linked the tightening to sustained rate pressure through January and February, not a seasonal blip, and urged shippers to lock contract rates on high-service lanes.
FreightWaves reported that Tony Broyles of Overdrive Logistics, drawing on experience on both the shipper and broker sides, said his brokerage saw early signs of a tightening freight market in November 2025, months before most of the industry recognized the change.
Broyles said rate pressure on specific lanes and a tighter truck supply in certain markets pointed to a sustained cycle shift rather than a seasonal swing, and he said the firm got confirmation when that pressure persisted through January and into February.
He attributed delayed industry recognition in part to many logistics professionals entering after COVID, who may lack a baseline for what a tightening market looks like, and he argued shippers had benefited for years from artificially low rates.
For shippers seeking capacity through the rest of 2026 and into 2027, Broyles said priorities should include securing contract rates now on high-service, appointment sensitive lanes, while keeping low-frequency freight on the spot market to avoid damaging long term carrier and broker relationships.