Sightful Invest
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock
Top Posts
Starmer says UK to recognize Palestinian state if...
‘Critical’ closed-door congressional huddle focuses on growing antisemitism...
Trump’s CDC pick confirmed—but her pro-vaccine stance may...
Trump pick Emil Bove confirmed as federal judge...
From Gaza to Greenland, Macron breaks with Trump...
Schumer calls on FBI to conduct counterintelligence threat...
Biden ‘Politburo’ member Steve Ricchetti to appear before...
Trump looks to skip G20 summit in South...
Backlash against Sydney Sweeney ‘jeans/genes’ ad gets mocked...
Biden ‘Politburo’ member Steve Ricchetti appears before House...
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock

Sightful Invest

Business

The trucking industry hits the brakes with tariffs set to dent imports

by admin April 24, 2025
April 24, 2025
The trucking industry hits the brakes with tariffs set to dent imports

U.S. trucking is heading for a slowdown, with industry players fearing the “worst is yet to come” as tariffs start to crimp imports.

Trucking volumes have plunged to near pre-pandemic levels, according to Craig Fuller, founder of the logistics industry publication FreightWaves.

“With imports deteriorating, volumes are expected to fall by another 3-4% over the next month,” Fuller said Tuesday in a post on X, citing the real-time freight data platform Sonar, which he also founded. Fuller said that’s a worrying sign for truckers this year.

Container volumes are down 20% at the busy Port of Los Angeles since a year ago, FreightWaves reported Tuesday, saying “this downturn spells trouble” for trucking firms that ship the overseas cargo inland across the country. Freight trucks carrying goods out of the metro area are “converging downward toward 2020 lockdown levels,” the outlet said.

The flags come as warning signs pile up for the broader U.S. economy due to President Donald’s Trump’s evolving trade war.

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday knocked down its forecast for the year, lowering its January projection for global gross domestic product growth to 2.8%, from 3.6% previously. The IMF also cut its outlook for U.S. growth to just 1.8%, down from 2.7%, citing “epistemic uncertainty and policy unpredictability” out of the White House. Fresh GDP data is due out next Wednesday.

Freight carriers are “heavily dependent on the health of the U.S. economy, and many industry insiders are waiting on the final outcome of tariffs prior to expressing opinions regarding their outlook,” said John Crum, head of specialty equipment finance at Wells Fargo.

Trucks are the nation’s freight mode of choice for everything from grain to gravel, as measured by weight, and also carry the lion’s share, by dollar value, of foodstuffs, electronics and vehicles, federal data shows. Imports accounted for 40% of freight tonnage moved domestically by truck as of 2023.

Despite freight firms’ broader reticence, many are still “expressing caution regarding freight volumes for 2025,” Crum said.

In a separate note, Wells Fargo supply chain finance managing director Jeremy Jansen said one silver lining is that companies “have a bit more profit margins than in 2018/19 to absorb some tariff actions.” 

The growing pessimism comes just months after industry experts were heralding a likely rebound in trucking volumes after two years of declines. Just days before Trump was sworn in to a second term in January, the American Trucking Association released a forecast projecting a 1.6% boost in freight for the year.

“Understanding the trends in our supply chain should be key for policymakers in Washington, in statehouses around the country and wherever decisions are being made that affect trucking and our economy,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said in a statement at the time.

But in the more than three months since then, consumers’ outlooks have nosedived, executives across industries have ramped up their warnings about slower sales, and Wall Street has swung wildly in response to ever-shifting signals about the administration’s trade agenda. Small-business owners say they’re doing their best to stockpile inventory before steeper tariffs take hold, even as many already get hit with higher bills from suppliers.

With much of Trump’s sweeping April 2 slate of tariffs temporarily rolled back, shipping volumes could jump in the second quarter “as consumers scoop up pre-tariff goods before prices go up,” logistics researchers at Cass Information Systems said in their March report. “But thereafter, the trade war is likely to extend the for-hire freight recession as higher prices reduce goods affordability and consumers’ real incomes.”

Overall U.S. exports rose 4.6% through February, federal researchers reported this month, while imports surged 21.4% as the trade war heated up.

The Cass Freight Index fell 5.5% in 2023 and 4.1% last year, “and so far, is trending toward another decline in 2025,” the analytics company said.

Mack Trucks recently announced layoffs of hundreds of workers at a Pennsylvania plant due to economic uncertainty, betting on slower demand for its iconic freight vehicles.

The decision drew sharp criticism last week from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, who said, “I fear that we’re going to see more like this” due to tariffs. “We’re going to see more rising prices, more layoffs, more companies not investing in the future.”

“The economy has COVID,” Fuller wrote in a follow-up X post on Wednesday, in response to downbeat manufacturing data released this week. “The only cure is a deescalation of the tariffs.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

previous post
House Republican enters race for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat, setting up high-stakes GOP primary
next post
Inside the $1 billion berry startup backed by Ray Dalio’s family office

You may also like

Things are getting better at Boeing under CEO...

July 29, 2025

Procter & Gamble to cut 7,000 jobs as...

June 8, 2025

UAW union endorses Vice President Kamala Harris over...

August 2, 2024

Three Disney films could top $1 billion this...

August 10, 2024

Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus dies

November 7, 2024

Dockworkers union, port companies reach tentative 6-year deal

January 10, 2025

Microsoft confirms performance-based job cuts across departments

January 11, 2025

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian takes minority stake in...

May 16, 2025

Klarna, nearing IPO, plucks lucrative Walmart fintech partnership...

March 19, 2025

India’s 2nd-wealthiest person charged by U.S. in $250...

November 22, 2024

Recent Posts

  • Starmer says UK to recognize Palestinian state if Israel doesn’t agree to ceasefire, Hamas must ‘disarm’
  • ‘Critical’ closed-door congressional huddle focuses on growing antisemitism in US, Mamdani’s rise
  • Trump’s CDC pick confirmed—but her pro-vaccine stance may clash with RFK Jr.’s agenda
  • Trump pick Emil Bove confirmed as federal judge after furious Democrat walkout, whistleblower complaints
  • From Gaza to Greenland, Macron breaks with Trump on global flashpoints

    Become a VIP member by signing up for our newsletter. Enjoy exclusive content, early access to sales, and special offers just for you! As a VIP, you'll receive personalized updates, loyalty rewards, and invitations to private events. Elevate your experience and join our exclusive community today!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Categories

    • Business (845)
    • Investing (2,651)
    • Politics (3,267)
    • Stock (4)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: sightfulinvest.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 Sightful Invest. All Rights Reserved.