The State of Freight Carriers in 2025

< p > Freight is changing fast, but the core story is simple.People and businesses keep buying and shipping.That steady demand keeps the industry attractive for brokers and carriers who focus on service, speed, and compliance.

< h2 > What is moving right now

Ecommerce keeps climbing.In the second quarter of 2025, ecommerce reached more than sixteen percent of all retail sales in the United States.Parcel volume also grew last year, which means more boxes moving through networks that still rely on trucks to connect facilities and customers.

< h2 > Freight cycle and why the outlook is still good

Monthly indexes show a mixed but stabilizing picture.Tonnage has been mostly flat to slightly up in recent months, and outlooks point to gradual growth into next year and beyond.Add cross border trade strength and nearshoring trends, and there is a steady base of freight even when one sector cools.

< h2 > Self driving does not mean less work < p > Autonomous trucks are real, but the way they roll out creates more coordination, not less.Most deployments follow a hub to hub model.The middle of the trip runs on highways between transfer sites.People still handle first and last mile, docks, documents, exceptions, live calls, and all the messy parts of operations.

< p > Even on mature lanes, driverless runs today are limited to certain routes, times, and conditions.That means more planning, lane curation, and compliance work.As autonomy expands, networks add new handoff points, new service promises, and new alerts to manage.Brokers who are close to their carriers and shippers will have more to orchestrate, not less.

< h2 > What this means for brokers and carriers < ul >

Lean into compliance and simple tools that prevent missed expirations and fines

< li > Build lanes where demand is steady, including cross border and ecommerce heavy corridors < li > Treat autonomous capacity as another asset class that still needs planning and human service < li > Invest in clear alerts and audit ready records so teams can do more with the same headcount < p > Freight keeps moving.The winners will be the teams that remove friction for customers and carriers while staying rock solid on compliance.