High Demand for Freight Has Plunged by Over a Third Since April

New Tech.co survey data has revealed a dramatic decline in the amount of logistics professionals that report a high level of demand for freight, as this amount has fallen by about a third between April and October 2025.

Worse, this decline comes during what’s typically peak shipping season — the months of August, September, and October usually see a surge in freight, thanks to the upcoming holidays.

This new data, the latest in our monthly surveys, supports the claims experts have already been making for a while. The largest capacity purge in history is likely on the way, as the industry has too many trucks and trucking companies available without the freight demand to justify their existence.

26% Report High Demand in October, Down From 41% in April

Tech.co’s monthly survey tracks carriers and their perception of freight availability. In April 2025, 41% of respondents self-reported a high level of demand — either saying that they had “too much demand” or that they had “more than enough.”

Six months later, during the critical period for holiday inventory movement, that sentiment had declined by over a third: 26% of respondents said the same in October 2025.

Similarly, the number of logistics professionals that reported low levels of freight availability has increased during this period, with the percentage of professionals reporting a low level of availability hitting a high of 17%.

Freight Demand Is Dropping When It Should Be Surging

These results reveal a dramatic decline in business activity right as the market should be surging. This is strong evidence that, for many carriers, the traditional rhythms of logistics are no longer dependable.

But it’s not unexpected.

The trucking industry has been in a slump for over two years now, with truckers collectively driving fewer miles in 2024 than in the year prior.

Granted, the logistics business did see a big uptick earlier in the year due to front-loading in response to the first few waves of tariffs out from the US government, but this has since fallen.

Major industry indexes such as Cass are tracking a decline in shipping, while others see shipping costs on the rise. Now, our survey data further connects the dots between expert analysis and industry data: The professionals on the ground are also providing their own perspective.

Moving Forward With Strong Financial Pressure

Given the state of the industry, it’s no wonder that “managing financial pressure” is the top priority for a significant portion (20%) of respondents in our monthly survey.

What’s the path forward for freight companies facing with fewer opportunities to ship the freight they need to stay in the black?

First, companies will have to contend with lost profitability in the long-term. Perhaps an improved source of market intelligence can help, but it’ll definitely be a challenge to consistently ship the most profitable loads while avoiding low-margin tasks.

Second, they’ll need to manage their cash flow in the short term, since they’ll need immediate funds to cover operating costs while waiting for any delayed payments that aren’t yet available. In short: Freight companies will need to figure out a balancing act between short and long-term priorities.