Multiple factors, including stricter lending practices and geopolitical instability, are extending the recession in the freight industry and causing financial strain.
Since the beginning of the second quarter, over 30 trucking firms have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as reported by Equipment Finance News. In April alone, nearly 7,500 carriers left the market, marking a peak for the past year, according to logistics provider ITS Logistics.
Even established companies like Carroll Fulmer Logistics from Groveland, Florida, which stopped operations on July 29, have struggled to endure the prolonged freight recession. This trend raises concerns for the overall health of the industry, noted Dean Croke, principal analyst at DAT Freight and Analytics, in an interview with EFN.
“The closure of long-standing truckload carriers like Carroll Fulmer serves as a significant warning sign; it reflects the decision that operating in this industry is no longer financially viable,”
— Dean Croke, DAT Freight and Analytics
The Squeeze Intensifies
The average operational expense for trucking companies surged to $2.26 per mile in 2024, a 37.3% increase since early 2020, hitting a record high of $2.27 in 2023, according to data from the American Transportation Research Institute.
Rising operating costs have coincided with a prolonged decline in spot rates, where the average dry van linehaul rate plummeted to $1.65 per mile as of August 10, a 31% decrease from figures four years ago during the peak of the pandemic trucking boom, as per DAT Freight and Analytics.
In response to shrinking margins, many fleet operators are aggressively cutting costs and reducing their fleet sizes. “Carriers are realizing they can no longer achieve revenue growth through rate hikes. They will need to focus on stringent cost management and efficient equipment use,” Croke stated. He predicts this trend will persist for another six to nine months.
The Financing Dilemma
Tighter credit standards are further contributing to the industry’s downturn, with many equipment lenders now demanding higher down payments and raising interest rates or withdrawing from the sector altogether.
According to Jarrett Harris, director of research at IronAdvisor Insights, these lending institutions suffered heavy losses from equipment repossessions in 2024, causing a hesitance to finance new truck purchases. “Given the losses incurred, lenders are now cautious, preferring to extend terms for existing customers,” he noted.
Why the Focus on Chicago?
Notably, about one-third of the trucking firms that have filed for bankruptcy since Q2 have done so in the Northern District of Illinois. While the reasons remain unclear, this trend may be linked to tight margins within the drayage truck market, which involves short-haul transport of goods between ports and railyards. Croke mentioned that Chicago’s strategic position, housing all Class 1 railroads, makes it a critical hub for such operations.
