How are Freight Brokers Staying Afloat?

A Unit-Economics Reality Check Looking at the shocking December 2025 metrics, we couldn’t help but wonder how brokers are surviving. While, by almost any surface-level metric, freight brokerage volumes look healthy. Loads are moving. Capacity is abundant. Rates have stabilized off the bottom. And yet, across the industry, broker layoffs continue, balance sheets remain under pressure, and even well-run operators are quietly fighting for survival. The disconnect isn’t demand, it’s unit economics. To under ...