Topics: Carrier Solutions, Newsletters, Early Payment
They say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. The old idiom, of course, refers to the weather. But if you put it in another context and consider the deluge of implemented and threatened trade policies, and resulting market uncertainty, we’re forecasting that March will go out like a lion too.
No matter what March brings weather-wise or policy-wise, Cass Information Systems is there for carriers, keeping them informed about the freight economy and regulatory environment.
Cross-Border Freight Demand Spikes Before Tariffs Hit
The Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) reported that cross-border freight demand was spiking in late February as shippers pushed to import goods before the implementation of 25% tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada.
But soon, trucking capacity could be very easy to find near the United States’ northern and southern borders, according to Uber Freight senior economist Mazen Danaf.
“We could see significant impact on cross-border volumes, resulting in abundant capacity,” Danaf said in a market update. “Intra-Canada and Mexico volumes are particularly vulnerable as the two countries have approximately 75% to 80% of their exports going to the U.S., and exports make nearly one-third of their GDPs, so their effects will be severe on these two countries.”
Carriers Expect Gradual Pricing Increases
The leaders of seven major carriers foresee a freight market recovery, but they don’t agree when or how quickly it will happen, according to a Trucking Dive report.
“We’re expecting the bid season to be favorable from a contractual rate standpoint. And so we’d expect some of those rate increases to begin to be implemented in Q2,” Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings CEO Adam Miller said.
Landstar System President and CEO Frank Lonegro doesn’t expect rates to “boomerang back. I think there’s going to be a slow, steady progress of rate improvement throughout 2025, absent policy overtones.”
President and CEO Mark Rourke said Schneider leadership believes “we’re entering a more constructive pricing market and building upon some of the progress, although modest progress, that we had in 2024.”
ATA: Trucking Could Get Boost From Consumers
The high cost of travel may spur shoppers to instead spend their money on products to enjoy at home. That would be good for trucking, according to American Trucking Associations (ATA) chief economist Bob Costello.
“People are looking at the prices of things and freaking out,” Costello said at the 2025 Recruitment & Retention Conference, according to Transport Topics.
Still, he sees the balance of consumer spending between goods and services returning to more normalized levels, and that too would be good for trucking.
Trucking Tonnage Stays Steady in January
Trucking Dive reported that the ATA’s For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index in January remained unchanged year over year and month over month.
The flat tonnage was seen as a positive sign, considering the Southern California wildfires and winter storms across the country in January.
LTL Classification Changes Raise Questions
LTL shippers want to know how the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) shift to a 13-class, density-based system in July is going to affect them.
The classification changes will make it more important for shippers to record shipments’ density, weight, and dimensions, as well as the product’s NMFC item number and classification, and origin and destination ZIP codes, according to Trucking Dive.
Trucking Dive quoted Estes CEO Rob Estes as saying, “Your freight classification will be more accurate on the first try, which means fewer surprises on your invoices. And, if you frequently ship heavy or dense freight, you may benefit from lower freight classes.”
XPO CEO Mario Harik said the LTL carrier is doing outreach and training with its customers to prepare them for the classification changes.
“Some customers could have a slightly higher price, some customers could have a slightly lower price,” Harik said. “But overall, we don’t expect the change to be material in terms of how we do pricing.”
TFI Isn’t Moving to US After All
Just days after CEO Alain Bédard said TFI International was moving its headquarters to the United States, the company issued a statement that it was staying in Montreal.
“TFI International will remain a Canadian corporation and will not pursue its previously announced intention to re-domicile from Canada to the United States,” it said.
ATRI Asks Carriers for Operating Cost Data
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is asking carriers to participate in its annual Operational Costs of Trucking report.
The ATRI collects the data from carriers of all sizes to document changing cost patterns in truck operations and how fleets can leverage cost data to achieve higher profitability and improved operational efficiencies, according to the CCJ.
Carriers are asked to submit information on driver pay, insurance premiums, equipment lease or purchase payments, and key performance indicators such as nonrevenue mileage and dwell time per stop. The deadline for submitting the collection form is April 25.
Geotab: Driver Stress Impacts Road Safety
A study conducted by Geotab, a fleet management platform, revealed that 68% of truck drivers believe work-related stress negatively impacts their performance, and 78% said stress and mental health contribute to road dangers.
“This stress leads to increased costs, reduced efficiency, and higher risks for everyone on the road,” Sabina Martin, vice president of product management for Geotab, said, according to the CCJ. “The financial impact is significant, including higher insurance premiums, potential legal liabilities, and increased fuel and maintenance costs.”
Trailer Orders Decline as Carriers Prioritize Trucks
Trailer orders have declined 21% year over year in the 2025 order season as fleets prioritize truck orders over trailers.
“Trailer OEMs have scaled back production, and prolonged cuts are possible if demand remains weak,” Dan Moyer, FTR’s senior analyst of commercial vehicles, told Trucking Dive. “Tariffs will affect not only fully assembled trailers imported into the U.S. but also domestically produced trailers, which depend on imported materials and components. Expect market volatility as OEMs try to adapt to uncertainty over scope and timing of tariff impacts.”
Survey Shows Low Pay Deterrent to Trucking Career
About 45% of Americans surveyed by truck parts supplier FinditParts said they would consider becoming a truck driver if the pay was better. Time away from home is another big deterrent.
Land Line said numerous studies have shown the driver turnover issue could be solved with better pay.
“There isn’t any such thing as a driver shortage. There is a recruitment and retention problem,” Michael Belzer, a Wayne State University economics professor, told Land Line. “That’s because at the margin, people decide, ‘Is it worth it to get the CDL to work that hard if I’m not making any money?’ A very rational decision on the part of the drivers is to quit, do something else.”
DHL Sells 91-year-old Midwest LTL carrier
DHL has sold Standard Forwarding, a Midwest LTL carrier that has been in business for more than 90 years, to Sakaem Holdings.
Rebranded as Standard Forwarding Freight, the regional carrier has a network of 14 terminals in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. As part of the deal, Standard took ownership of a cross-dock facility in Chicago and merged with truckload and LTL brokerage Sakaem Logistics.
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