ATA Truck Tonnage Rises 0.8% as Capacity Continues to Contract

U.S. for-hire truck tonnage increased 0.8% in September after a 0.2% decline in August, giving the freight market a stronger finish to the third quarter. TheTrucker.com reported October 20 that the American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index reached 114, up from a revised 113.1 in August. The index uses 2015 as its baseline of 100.

September tonnage was unchanged from the same month in 2025, an improvement from August's 1.3% year-over-year decline. Activity for the first nine months of 2026 remained 0.9% above the comparable 2025 period, supported by stronger gains from February through April. The raw, not seasonally adjusted index registered 114.8, down 1.4% from August, which shows why seasonal adjustment matters when comparing consecutive months.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said soft freight volume remains a problem, but continued capacity contraction is creating a better market for motor carriers. That distinction matters: a tighter balance between available trucks and loads can improve pricing without a broad surge in shipment demand. The monthly gain also did not erase weakness earlier in the quarter, so fleets should avoid treating one reading as a full recovery.

Carriers should compare national tonnage with tender acceptance, loaded miles and revenue per tractor on their own lanes before adding equipment. Shippers can review lead times and backup capacity where carrier exits have reduced choices. Drivers and owner-operators should focus on profitable utilization after fuel, deadhead and dwell rather than chase volume alone. October data will show whether September's improvement extends beyond a single month.