ATA economist says the rate recovery is driven by fewer trucks, not more freight
ATA's chief economist says enforcement is pushing rule-breaking carriers out, which is shrinking capacity while freight stays flat.
What happened
At ATA's management conference on Oct. 19, Bob Costello said freight volumes are mostly flat while capacity keeps shrinking, partly because this year's enforcement is pushing carriers that break the rules out. He cited English proficiency, non-domiciled CDL vetting and ELD compliance among the actions.
Why it matters
ATA's chief economist says enforcement is pushing rule-breaking carriers out, which is shrinking capacity while freight stays flat.
Sources
Reporting and records credited to the sources above, Oct. 19, 2026. We link to the original and add what it means for carriers.
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