August 20, 2026
Trucking activity in the United States decreased 1% in July after rising 1.5% in June, according to the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.
"Tonnage levels have been choppy recently, and this trend was reflected in July's decline," said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. "Aside from a couple pockets of strength, including the boom in data center construction for AI, freight has been lackluster. It is also true that the industry is seeing a recovery, but that is nearly all due to excess capacity leaving the market."
In July, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 113.5, down from 114.7 in June. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, decreased 0.5% from the same month in 2025, which was worse than June's 1.2% gain.
Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2025, tonnage is up 1.4% due to robust year-over-year increases from February through April.
Source: ATA