DAT Sees Supply-Driven Freight Turn

DAT Sees Supply-Driven Freight Turn

From Talking Transports by Bloomberg

May 5, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the tightening of freight markets driven by shrinking capacity and regulatory enforcement affecting truck availability.

Freight markets are tightening after a prolonged downturn, but the driver is shrinking capacity rather than rising demand. In this Talking Transports podcast, DAT Principal Analyst Dean Croke joins Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow to discuss how regulatory enforcement around driver qualifications, fraud and compliance is removing trucks from the market. Spot rates in some lanes are up 20–25% year over year, with truck postings down about 30% and load postings rising, signaling tighter conditions. Croke highlights early increases in contract rates, growing volatility in produce and flatbed markets, and why the next cycle may be more sustained. He also explains how greater data transparency and AI adoption are accelerating market shifts and reshaping pricing dynamics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guests: Dean Croke, Lee Klaskow

Topics covered

  • freight markets
  • supply chain
  • transportation regulations
  • data transparency
  • AI in logistics

Keywords

  • freight markets
  • supply-driven
  • truck capacity
  • contract rates
  • data transparency
  • AI adoption
  • pricing dynamics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: DAT, Bloomberg Intelligence, Bloomberg

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