📉 "Short and Soft" Peak Season? Freight Forecast Looks Like a Dud

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

🧠 Introduction: So Much for the August Freight Boom

Every trucker knows the drill — August hits, and so does peak season.
Freight rates usually jump, volume goes wild, and every broker suddenly remembers your number.

But this year?
Not so much.

Industry experts are calling it a "short and soft" peak season, thanks to a combination of trade uncertainty, fresh tariffs, and good old-fashioned economic weirdness. For truckers, that means fewer loads, weaker rates, and more competition on every lane.

Let’s break this down — no sugar-coating, just hard truths and how to survive it.

📦 What’s Causing the Freight Fizzle?

👎 New Tariffs Slap Trade in the Face
With recent tariffs on Canadian goods (35%, thanks Trump), and new tensions with China and Mexico, import volumes are down. That means fewer containers, fewer cross-border hauls, and less freight overall.

📉 Consumer Demand is Flatlining
Retailers are being cautious. Inflation’s up, credit card debt is up, and consumer spending? Not so hot. When stores aren’t expecting big holiday sales, they don't order early. So your August backhaul just vanished.

🌀 Supply Chain Still Ain’t Normal
Ports are moving weird. Inventories are high in some places, empty in others. It’s all jumbled up, which means freight demand is scattered and unpredictable.

Put it together, and what do you get?

A weak peak season that barely gets off the ground.

🚛 What Drivers Are Seeing on the Ground

“Last year I was booked out a week ahead in August. This year I’m fighting to get a decent rate every day.”
— Solo O/O out of Atlanta

“The load boards look like January — not August. Where’s the peak?”
— Midwestern reefer hauler

“Everyone says 'be patient' but bills don’t wait.”
— Flatbed team running Southeast

It’s not just one lane or one region — it’s across the board.
Freight is slow, rates are soft, and there's no sign of a surprise surge.

🪓 Broker Tactics Get Shadier

When volume drops, brokers go full savage:

Lowballing loads — “It’s peak season… but not for you.”

Posting ghost loads just to gauge rates

Calling 50 drivers for every one load

Brokers know it’s a shipper’s market, and they’re squeezing carriers harder than ever. That’s why your negotiation game better be strong — or you’ll find yourself rolling 1,200 miles for $1.18/mile.

📉 What's the Industry Saying?

DAT: Reports flat or declining volumes on van and reefer lanes.

FreightWaves: Predicting a peak season that might not even show up in the data.

Analysts: Blaming inflation, elections, and shaky global trade.

Translation? Everyone’s blaming everything — but no one’s fixing anything.

🔄 How the Big Carriers Are Adapting

Mega-fleets are parking trucks, cutting back on miles, and trying to avoid rate wars.

Brokerages are trimming staff (again) and automating everything.

Small fleets & O/Os? Getting squeezed and pushed out if they don’t adapt.

This is survival of the most strategic. The hustlers stay in. The ones who sleep on it? They’re out by Christmas.

🔥 Diesel-Powered Advice: What to Do Right Now

Here’s how to beat a weak peak:

📍 Stick to strong regions – Upper Midwest, Texas triangle, and port-adjacent zones may still offer decent freight.

⏱ Book smart, not fast – Don’t grab the first garbage rate. Look for multi-drop or contract options.

🤝 Lock in direct shipper connections – Cut the broker when you can. If you don’t have a shipper, now’s the time to chase one.

🛑 Watch your fuel spend – If the rate’s under $2.00/mi and you’re burning full tanks, you’re losing money.

📚 And most importantly… Build that plan B – Because next year’s peak might be worse.

📣 Bottom Line: No One’s Coming to Save You

The market ain’t soft — the market is honest.
And right now, it’s saying:

“Only the smart, scrappy, and strategic drivers are gonna make it.”

Peak season used to be easy money. This year? It’s a test.
And if you’re relying on the old ways — waiting on dispatch or riding load boards all day — you’re in trouble.

💥 Call to Action

This weak peak season isn’t just a freight problem — it’s a freedom warning.
If one slow month wrecks your income, you need a backup plan yesterday.

🚨 Trucking won't make you rich — but using it to fuel your future will.
🧠 Learn AI tools, side hustles, and automation that work from the cab or couch.

🔗 Go to RetireFromTrucking.com — your money shouldn’t move only when freight does.