Is the economy slowing?
We are seeing a slowing of volume in the freight market, all coming from consumer segments.
Industrials are robust, consumer is a bust.
This is a huge contrast from the last few years, where consumer volumes were resilient, but industrials were a… pic.twitter.com/D2sIDpg9SM
— Craig Fuller 🛩🚛🚂⚓️ (@FreightAlley) September 4, 2026
US retail sales post first decline in nine months in July
Retail sales fell 0.6% in July, while core retail sales fell 0.4%. That gives the freight weakness a consumer side to match it.
https://www.reuters.com/business/us-retail-sales-unexpectedly-fall-july-2026-08-14/
ATA truck tonnage index fell 1% in July
Truck tonnage dropped 1% after rising 1.5% in June and was down 0.5% from a year earlier. ATA’s chief economist said freight was “lackluster” outside pockets like AI data-center construction.
https://www.trucking.org/news-insights/ata-truck-tonnage-index-fell-1-july
July freight data shows the slowdown getting wider
Cass shipments fell 4.8% year over year and 2.2% on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis. ACT also lowered its freight-demand outlook for the second half of 2026 and 2027.
https://www.arrivelogistics.com/insights/august-2026-freight-market-update/