Trucking activity contracted substantially in October as the freight sector continues feel the burden of economic and trade uncertainty.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) reported last week its For-Hire Tonnage Index fell by 2.1% in October. That reading followed the 0.8% loss in September, bringing the index to its lowest level since January. The 2.1% reduction also was the largest single-month dip in 21 months.
“October’s weakness shows the freight market remains very difficult, dropping the most of any single month since January 2024. As a result, the level of freight was the lowest since January 2025. Compared with a year earlier, tonnage experienced its largest decline in 2025,” says Bob Costello, ATA chief economist.
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ATA says its seasonally adjusted index was 111.9 in October, down from 114.3 in September. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, contracted 1.8% from the same month last year after increasing 0.9% in September. Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2024, ATA states tonnage was unchanged.
September’s seasonally adjusted decrease was revised up slightly from that first reported in ATA’s October announcement. Additionally, the not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, equaled 119.2 in October, 3.8% above September’s reading of 114.8.
