GSquare warns trucking costs 16–17%
- A social post from a seller account called GSquare warned U.S. trucking costs could jump 16% to 17% in 2026, citing carrier exits, tighter capacity and freight-market volatility. - The broader freight data show rates are already moving: DAT’s national van spot average rose to $2.68 a mile in April from $2.32 in January, while contract rates hit $2.85. - Analysts and brokers have also been flagging a 2026 capacity shakeout, with shippers urged to lock in coverage earlier as smaller fleets exit and fuel swings add pressure. (chrobinson.com)
A seller account called GSquare is warning that U.S. trucking costs could rise 16% to 17% in 2026 as carriers leave the market and capacity tightens. (x.com) GSquare’s post told sellers not to wait for spot-market relief and instead lock in capacity, tighten routing and protect margins now. (x.com) The warning lands as market data already show higher truckload pricing in 2026. DAT’s national dry-van spot average rose from $2.32 a mile in January to $2.68 in April, while van contract rates climbed from $2.48 to $2.85. (dat.com) C.H. Robinson said on April 9 that truckload costs were rising faster than expected as capacity tightened. The broker told shippers to review procurement strategy, carrier mix and lead times instead of trying to predict fuel prices. (chrobinson.com) RSM said in a November 2025 outlook that a freight “capacity shakeout” was likely in 2026 as smaller carriers faced depressed rates and higher costs. Its analysts said shippers should secure long-term contracts earlier in the bid cycle to reduce the risk of higher rates and service disruptions. (rsmus.com) The latest freight readings are mixed, which helps explain the volatility GSquare pointed to. American Trucking Associations said March for-hire truck tonnage rose 0.3% from February and 3% from a year earlier, while the Cass Freight Index showed shipments down 4.5% year over year. (ttnews.com) Freight spending is also running hotter than shipment volumes. The Cass Freight expenditures index reached 3.296 in March 2026, and RSM said freight expenditures were up 12% since early 2019 even as shipments were down 10% over that span. (fred.stlouisfed.org) (rsmus.com) That leaves GSquare’s 16% to 17% figure as a warning, not an industry forecast tied to a public model. But the underlying case — fewer carriers, firmer rates and more pressure to secure contract coverage before the market tightens further — matches what brokers and analysts are already describing. (x.com) (chrobinson.com) (rsmus.com)
