Freight Volumes Rose 1.5% Amid Sector Shifts
Carriers must adjust to declining food demand and new broker liability risks to protect margins.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Transportation
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National freight volumes increased 1.5% from year-ago levels, driven by infrastructure demand even as food and beverage shipping cooled by 3% to 4%. These shifts occur alongside tightened capacity from new regulatory enforcement.
Why it matters
Operators face a bifurcated market where data center construction fuels logistics growth while GLP-1 drug adoption and tariffs suppress consumer goods demand. Higher operational costs, underscored by diesel prices exceeding $4 per gallon, are further compounded by legal shifts in broker liability.
Freight volumes are up 1.5% compared to year-ago levels, while tender rejection rates hold at approximately 14%. Food and beverage freight demand has concurrently decreased 3% to 4% from the prior year period.
The players
Federal Reserve
The central banking system of the United States that manages monetary policy through interest rate adjustments.
Supreme Court
The highest federal court in the United States that recently altered broker liability standards.
The details
Freight volume gains remain concentrated in sectors supporting data center construction, providing a localized offset to cooling consumer staples demand. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruling in Montgomery v. Carbide has stripped broker liability protections, complicating risk management for logistics firms. Trucking capacity remains constrained by heightened enforcement of English-language proficiency and non-domiciled CDL requirements.
Timeline
May 2026: The Supreme Court issued its ruling in Montgomery v. Carbide.
September 2026: Consumer sentiment data showed a decline.
Spring 2026: Analysts anticipate a weaker seasonal ramp for flatbed carriers.
October 2026: The Federal Reserve is expected to implement a rate hike.
December 2026: The Federal Reserve is expected to implement a second rate hike.
Market Landscape
The legal environment for freight movement has shifted significantly following the Supreme Court ruling in Montgomery v. Carbide. This change alters the risk profile for logistics intermediaries, departing from long-standing liability precedents that previously shielded brokers.
Operators should reevaluate insurance coverage and liability contracts in light of the Montgomery v. Carbide ruling. With diesel costs exceeding $4 per gallon, firms should prioritize efficiency to navigate the contrast between data center-driven growth and softening food-freight demand.
The takeaway
The logistics market is decoupling, with infrastructure-heavy freight outperforming consumer-driven lanes. Managers should stress-test their broker contracts against the new liability standards established in May 2026.
What happens next
Monitor the Federal Reserve meetings scheduled for October 2026 and December 2026 to assess potential interest rate impacts on logistics capital expenditures.
Further reading
For more on industry shifts, see the Transportation section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by FreightWaves.
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