What happened
The American Trucking Associations reported on Sept. 23 that its advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 0.5% in August after a 1.2% decline in July. The August index was 112.7, down from 113.3 in July, with 2015 set at 100. Compared with August 2025, tonnage was 1.6% lower. Tonnage has declined in four of the last five months and is 4.3% below its March peak, although the year-to-date total remains 1% above the same period in 2025 because of stronger gains from February through April.
What drivers should do
ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the market has improved in some respects because capacity has tightened, not because freight demand is robust. That distinction matters: fewer available trucks can support rates on certain lanes even while aggregate tonnage is falling. The ATA index measures broad for-hire tonnage and is not a load-board forecast, a guaranteed rate increase or proof that every region and freight segment is moving in the same direction. The separate not-seasonally-adjusted index was 116.1 in August, 0.6% below July.
Why this matters to our community
Small carriers should price each load using current lane data, not a national headline. Confirm the all-in rate, loaded and deadhead miles, current fuel surcharge, tolls, detention, layover, lumper and other accessorial terms before accepting the load. Track weekly revenue per total mile, accepted versus rejected tenders, empty miles and days-to-pay by broker so you can see whether tighter capacity is actually improving your operation. Drivers comparing jobs should ask for recent average weekly miles, guaranteed minimum pay, detention rules and home-time expectations instead of assuming a better market automatically means a larger paycheck. Useful English terms include truck tonnage, seasonally adjusted, year over year, capacity, freight demand, all-in rate, deadhead and accessorials.