Freight & Transportation Forecast
Navigate the Future of Freight with Confidence
Staying ahead means being better informed, strategically positioned, and fully prepared to anticipate market cycles. At ACT Research, we provide you with the forward-looking insights you need to navigate the freight market confidently. As your transportation intelligence partner, we empower you to make proactive decisions that optimize your operations, mitigate risks, and enhance profitability.
Get Transportation Intelligence2025 Freight Rate Overview
Key Influences and Market Dynamics
Freight rates in 2025 are being shaped by key factors such as capacity shifts, fuel costs, regulatory changes, and spot-market dynamics. As trucking capacity and economic influences fluctuate, the landscape for rate planning has grown more complex. Demand has remained resilient, driven by steady goods consumption and gradual supply chain recovery, presenting both challenges and opportunities for shippers. Rates are anticipated to rise incrementally in the coming months as capacity tightens, driven partly by regulatory impacts on driver availability. Businesses can prepare by factoring in these projected cost changes and tracking capacity shifts, with further insights available in our Freight Forecast.
Why Choose ACT Research?
When every decision counts, having the right data at your fingertips can make all the difference. Stay ahead with accurate freight rate forecasts to drive profitability.
Our Freight Rate Forecast gives you a strategic advantage, offering deep dives into market trends, supply-demand dynamics, and economic indicators across the Truckload (TL), Less-than-Truckload (LTL), and Intermodal sectors. Leveraging over 35 years of historically accurate Class 8 tractor forecasts, we deliver clarity on market capacity, helping you anticipate changes before they happen.
- Predictive Insights: Our forecasts equip you with the knowledge to anticipate market conditions, enabling you to craft proactive strategies rather than react to shifts.
- Strategic Planning: Detailed analysis of market segments and trends helps you align your long-term strategy with market realities, ensuring your business stays agile and competitive.
- Risk Mitigation: By understanding potential disruptions and economic indicators, you can mitigate risks associated with volatile freight rates and capacity constraints.
- Operational Efficiency: Insights into rate trends, supply-demand balances, and sector-specific dynamics allow you to optimize operations for cost efficiency and service excellence.
How have ACT Research’s freight forecasts performed?
ACT Research’s 2024 forecasts for the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index® were 98.8% accurate on average over the past 18 months, and were spot on from 13 months out.
Key Items Covered Monthly in the Freight Forecast:
- ACT Class 8 Tractor Sales Forecasts
- Cass Shipments Index Forecasts
- Cass Truckload Linehaul Index® Forecasts
- DAT Contract Rate (Dry Van, Reefer, Flatbed) Forecasts
- DAT US Dry Van Spot Rate Forecasts
- DAT US Refrigerated Spot Rate Forecasts
- DAT US Flatbed Spot Rate Forecasts
- DAT Canada Dry Van Spot Rate Forecasts
- DAT Canada Reefer Spot Rate Forecasts
- DAT Canada Flatbed Spot Rate Forecasts
- LTL Tonnage and Yield Forecasts
- LTL Producer Price Index Forecasts
- Intermodal Load and Rate Forecasts
- Intermodal Producer Price Index Forecasts
- Diesel Fuel Price and Fuel Surcharge Forecasts
- US Economic Forecasts
- Canada Economic Forecasts
The ACT Freight Forecast provides quarterly forecasts for the direction of volumes and contract rates over the next 36 months and annual forecasts through over the next 3 years for the truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal segments of the transportation industry and provides an unprecedented look at the future of freight rates to confidently help businesses navigate transportation and logistics management plans for the future.
With this service, you will receive freight rate and volume forecasts for truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal, with an in-depth market analysis of capacity and demand for each segment as well as an analysis of related markets, including last mile and port activity. We have also included a carrier profitability analysis and, most importantly, a guide to negotiating freight rates.
[ACT’s Freight Forecast] is undoubtedly the deepest monthly report on transportation in the industry.
Dave Broering
President, Non-Asset Solutions, NFI
What can our forecast data do for you?
Shippers
Market intelligence to:
- Control costs and improve customer service
- Rate budgeting and planning
- Plan capacity, volume, and inventory
- Limit distributions and risk mitigation
- Understand conditions of the for-hire trucking industry
Investors
Market intelligence to:
- Understand the economic outlook of the transportation sector, including publicly traded carriers
- View the current and future health of the market for your investments
- Know the direction of freight volumes and rates
- Understand the truckload cycle
Logistics/Brokers
Market intelligence to:
- Benefit shipper customers on rate negotiations and understanding of truckload cycle
- Forecast spot and contract rates
- Negotiate spot and contract rates
- Mitigate risk
- Budget and benchmark capital
- Add credibility with 3rd party validation
- Benchmark assumptions
Truckers/ Fleets
Market intelligence to:
- Forecast spot and contract rates
- Negotiate spot and contract rates
- Allocate dedicated equipment
- Manage risk
- Budget and benchmark capital
- Benchmark assumptions
How It Works
Methodology That Ensures Accuracy
With over 35 years of industry expertise, ACT Research leverages high-quality data sources, trusted partnerships, and expert analysis to deliver precise freight rate forecasts:
- Comprehensive Data Sources: Draws from proprietary ACT data, industry indices, macroeconomic trends, and partnerships with DAT Freight & Analytics and Cass Information Systems.
- Monthly Updates: Ensures decisions are based on the latest market insights.
- Detailed Segmentation: Includes forecasts by region, mode, and van type, along with a Freight-Weighted GDP Index to clarify consumer demand and economic impacts.
Assuring rail equipment capacity for our intermodal stakeholders is imperative at TTX Company. Meeting this goal requires accurate freight demand forecasting which, in turn, necessitates an understanding of market conditions and issues. ACT Research’s monthly Freight Forecast complements our internal research and analysis by providing keen insight on demand drivers, as well as emerging and evolving trends. The report’s content is well-written, and the information provided is organized and easy to access and interpret.
Frank Adcock
AVP Marketing, TTX Company
How have ACT Research’s freight forecasts performed?
For 2024, ACT’s forecasts for the shipments component of the Cass Freight Index were 95.0% accurate on average for the 18-month forecast period.
Partner with ACT Research
With ACT Research, you’re not just accessing data—you’re gaining a partner in your business’s success. Our exclusive partnerships with DAT Freight & Analytics and Cass Information Systems give you unparalleled access to detailed market trends, from contract and spot rates to freight volumes and equipment postings. Coupled with our freight-weighted GDP Freight Composite Index and the expertise of our seasoned industry leaders, we provide the actionable intelligence you need to drive your business forward.
Whether you're a for-hire carrier, logistics broker, or shipper, ACT Research’s Freight Rate Forecast gives you the insights to make informed, strategic decisions. Stay ahead of market trends, optimize your operations, and turn market volatility into your competitive edge with the power of ACT Research at your side.
Additional Resources
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