Holiday freight finally shows up: October LMI flips back to price-led expansion as trucking braces for mixed signals

Price momentum returned to trucking in October as the Logistics Managers’ Index held steady at 57.4, but the mix shifted decisively toward transportation. Utilization jumped and prices accelerated while capacity growth eased, breaking a two‑month stretch in which capacity had outpaced pricing. Inventory levels slipped into slight contraction, a sign…

Spot Capacity Tightens as Truck Posts Fall and Load-to-Truck Ratios Surge YoY, with Fuel Costs Edging Up | Market Analysis for Week of 2025-11-03

Introduction Shippers enter early November with freight fundamentals that are gradually improving on a year-over-year basis but mixed in the near term. As of November 3, 2025, van, reefer, and flatbed markets all show sharply higher load-to-truck ratios versus a year ago (+48.6%, +93.0%, and +72.5%, respectively), even as week-to-week…

IRS sets 2025 limits for FSAs, commuter and adoption benefits: what trucking employers should change before January 1

What’s new for 2025 The IRS has finalized inflation adjustments that raise several popular employer benefit caps for the 2025 tax year. Key changes affect health care flexible spending accounts (FSAs), qualified transportation (commuter/parking) benefits, and employer-provided adoption assistance—programs many fleets use to compete for drivers and back-office talent. The…

U.S. Trucker’s Weather Briefing: November 5, 2025

National Overview — Wed, Nov 5, 2025 A Pacific system keeps the Northwest and northern California unsettled with periods of heavy rain, gusty winds, and a limited flash‑flood threat. Farther east, a vigorous disturbance brings strong, potentially damaging winds and some thunderstorms from the northern Mid‑Atlantic into southern New England.…