Road Scholar | Transport Blog's

The trucking industry is so deeply woven into modern life that it’s easy to forget it hasn’t always been there.   Long before overnight deliveries, just-in-time inventory, and nationwide supply chains, moving goods across the country was slow, expensive, and limited by geography.   The history of trucking is the story of how innovation, regulation, and resilience transformed transportation—and ultimately reshaped the American economy. Before Trucks: Railroads, Horses, and Dirt Roads In the late 1800s and early 1900s, freight movement relied heavily on railroads, waterways, and horse-drawn wagons.   Rail dominated long-haul transport, while wagons handled short local deliveries.   Roads were often unpaved, inconsistent, and unreliable, making over-the-road freight impractical for anything beyond short distances. Everything changed with the introduction of the internal combustion engine. The Birth of Trucking (1900s–1920s) The first commercial trucks appeared...

While peak season may still feel far off, the most important decisions for Peak Season 2026 are being made right now.   For food and pharmaceutical shippers, the first months of the year are no longer a quiet reset — they are a critical window to secure trucking capacity, lock in pricing, and avoid last-minute disruptions later in the year. With freight markets gradually rebalancing and regulatory scrutiny increasing, early preparation is becoming the difference between stability and scrambling. Why This Time of Year Is So Critical January through early spring is when: Annual transportation budgets are finalized Contract freight bids are negotiated Carriers decide which customers and lanes they’ll prioritize Shippers reassess performance from the prior peak season Waiting until summer to address capacity needs often means competing for limited trucks at premium prices — especially for temperature-controlled and high-service freight. For food and phar...

As the freight market enters 2026, many carriers, brokers, and shippers remain cautiously optimistic but pragmatic about what lies ahead.   After years of depressed freight demand and soft rates, recent forecasts from Morgan Stanley suggest that supply-side pressures — not demand surges — could be the initial catalyst for market stabilization and gradual rate improvement.   Here’s a closer look at what that means for the trucking industry. FreightWaves 📉 A Slow Demand Environment — But Not Without Hope For much of 2025, freight volumes and trucking demand failed to rebound in a meaningful way, largely due to macroeconomic headwinds, tariff-related uncertainty, and cautious inventory practices by many shippers.   Although Morgan Stanley doesn’t expect a dramatic demand revival in 2026, data shows some shipper restocking interest, even if modest — with only a small fraction planning full-year inventory expansion.   Global Trade Magazine This means that demand —...

The trucking industry stands at the forefront of one of the most profound transformations in modern logistics.   Between rapid technological advancements, tightening environmental regulations, and evolving freight demand, the road ahead to 2030 promises a freight ecosystem that looks vastly different from today’s.   Here’s a deep dive into the trends, expert forecasts, and regulatory shifts that will define trucking by the end of the decade. 1. A New Era of Autonomy and Hybrid Fleets One of the most talked-about shifts in trucking is the rise of autonomous vehicle technology.   While the industry hasn’t reached full driverless operations yet, it’s rapidly moving through staged autonomy: Partial & Conditional Automation: The near future will see platooning and driver-assisted convoys become common.   These systems improve safety and fuel economy by linking trucks closely on highways using connected algorithms. McKinsey & Company Geofenced ...

In the wake of global supply chain disruptions and rising concerns about long transit times and cost volatility, many companies are rethinking where they make and source goods.   Nearshoring — the strategy of relocating manufacturing closer to end markets — has rapidly moved from trend to structural reality in North America.   For the trucking industry, this shift isn’t just a buzzword: it’s fundamentally shaping freight flows, logistics planning, and cross-border trucking routes. ITS UPDATE+1 What Is Nearshoring — and Why Now? Nearshoring involves shifting manufacturing operations nearer to the point of consumption.   For U.S. companies, Mexico is the primary beneficiary of this trend due to several clear advantages: Proximity and transit time — Mexico’s closeness to the U.S. allows products to reach U.S. markets in days instead of weeks, substantially reducing lead times and transportation costs compared with Asian imports. Food Logistics Trade ...

In the wake of global supply chain disruptions and rising concerns about long transit times and cost volatility, many companies are rethinking where they make and source goods.   Nearshoring — the strategy of relocating manufacturing closer to end markets — has rapidly moved from trend to structural reality in North America.   For the trucking industry, this shift isn’t just a buzzword: it’s fundamentally shaping freight flows, logistics planning, and cross-border trucking routes. ITS UPDATE+1 What Is Nearshoring — and Why Now? Nearshoring involves shifting manufacturing operations nearer to the point of consumption.   For U.S. companies, Mexico is the primary beneficiary of this trend due to several clear advantages: Proximity and transit time — Mexico’s closeness to the U.S. allows products to reach U.S. markets in days instead of weeks , substantially reducing lead times and transportation costs compared with Asian imports. Food Logistics Trade ...