A prominent trucking advocacy group anticipates an improvement in the freight outlook this year.
According to the American Trucking Associations’ latest annual freight forecast, truck volumes, which have declined over the past two years, are expected to grow by 1.6% in 2025. Over the long term, the volume is projected to reach nearly 14 billion tons by 2035.
These predictions are outlined in the ATA Freight Transportation Forecast 2024–2035, a collaborative report from ATA and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“In this edition of Forecast, the trucking industry continues to dominate the freight transportation industry in terms of both tonnage and revenue, comprising 72.7% of tonnage and 76.9% of revenue in 2024,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “We project that market share to hold over the next decade as the country continues to rely on trucking to move the vast majority of freight.”
The forecast predicts that total truck tonnage will increase from an estimated 11.27 billion tons in 2024 to 13.99 billion tons by 2035. During the same timeframe, revenues for the trucking industry are expected to grow from approximately $906 billion to $1.46 trillion, representing 76.8% of the freight market by the end of the forecast period.
Regarding other transportation modes, the ATA forecast notes the following:
- Railroads’ share of overall freight tonnage is expected to decline from 10.6% in 2024 to 9.9% in 2035, largely driven by reduced coal shipments.
- Intermodal rail tonnage is projected to grow by 2.9% through 2030, followed by a growth rate of 2.8% from 2031 to 2035.
- Tonnage moved via air cargo, domestic waterborne transportation, and pipelines is forecasted to increase between 2024 and 2035.
