Why Demand — Not Truck Attrition — May Decide the Fate of Small Carriers in 2026

These are the true engines of freight. When they pick up, freight volume rises in ways that endure. And when freight grows, that growth spills into the spot market in a way that’s sustainable — not fleeting. Capacity exits might amplify that strength by tightening the truck-to-load ratio, but they can never create demand on their own. Removing trucks doesn’t make shippers order more, doesn’t make retailers restock sooner, and doesn’t make factories increase output.Demand isn’t emotional — it doesn’t solely ...