2027 Outlook: What’s next for freight?

Truckstop data shows spot rates up 40 to 60% year over year. Load-to-truck ratios are up 25%. Tighter capacity drove that jump, and costs for insurance, diesel, tolls, and drivers keep climbing.

In this replay, Sean Dehan of Truckstop.com leads an economist, a small fleet owner, and two brokerage leaders through their plans for 2027. Noël Perry explains why pricing discipline decides who keeps margin. Diesel relief, he says, will arrive slower than most people expect. Until then, carriers can look for fuel discounts along their route.

The panel also looks at shippers and brokers who set their own standards for the carriers they use. Those standards shape who gets freight. The session closes with rapid-fire calls on whether rates go up, down, or flat. Each panelist also names the one thing they think people are overlooking for 2027.

Key takeaways

• Capacity is tighter than the truck count suggests: Hear why the number of usable trucks matters more than the number on the road, and what that means for carriers and brokers who want to stay in the pool as shippers get more selective.
• Insurance is becoming a competitive divide: Learn how safety management is starting to separate carriers on cost, and why one panelist expects insurance to hit small fleets harder than fuel. You will also hear how a small carrier is handling rising tolls and aging equipment.
• Price for your costs, not just the market: Find out how the panelists see rates moving in 2027 and why pricing discipline matters most when demand is soft.
• Plan for the wild cards: From first-quarter weather to the annual RFP season, learn which surprises the panel is watching and how brokers and carriers can prepare for them before they hit.
• AI works best behind the scenes: Hear how a small fleet uses AI to manage tolls and out-of-route miles, and why the brokerage leaders on the panel say customers care more about service than the technology behind it.

About the panelists

Sean Dehan, Chief Operating and Strategy Officer at Truckstop.com. Sean runs strategy and operations for Truckstop.com. He opens the webinar with the data behind today’s market, then guides the panel through its 2027 plans and predictions.

Noël Perry, Truckstop economist and principal at Transport Futures. Noël has worked in freight since deregulation and has seen almost everything the market can do. He treats every forecast as a question of managing risk, and he walks through the cost pressures and pricing habits that will shape 2027.

Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President at Circle Logistics. Andrew joined Circle Logistics as its fourth employee almost 14 years ago and has spent nearly 18 years in freight. Circle has grown to about 800 employees and $800 million in revenue.

Alyssa Correale, Chief Strategy Officer at Tin Goose Logistics. Alyssa helps lead a freight brokerage that is just over a year old and focused on enterprise customers. She spent most of her career on the shipper side with large manufacturers, so she sees both sides of the bid table.

Pamela Polyak, Owner of Polyak Trucking, Logistics and Consulting. Pamela is a third-generation trucker with 21 years in the business. She runs about 30 trucks in southeastern Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee, hauling full truckload freight across the Midwest.

Build your 2027 plan with confidence

Rates are up, capacity is tight, and costs keep climbing. The five voices in this replay start from that shared picture and look at 2027 from different seats, from an economist’s forecast to a small fleet’s budget and a brokerage’s approach to bids.

Nobody knows exactly what 2027 will bring, but you can be ready for it. Truckstop brings the load board, rate data, and connected AI tools together in one place, so the routine work takes less of your day. That gives you more time for the calls and decisions that move your business forward. Get started today and meet the year with confidence.

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