A freight recession stretching back to 2022 has kept the trucking industry under prolonged pressure, forcing carriers to navigate weak volumes as they look to late-2025 trends for evidence that the downturn is easing. Last year, trucking activity by tonnage moved rose just 0.1 percent over the 2024 average, according to the American Trucking Associations’ seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index. The paltry increase represents the first annual gain for the index since 2022, and was pushed forward ...