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Sept 23-25, 2026 | Scottsdale, AZ

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Jeff Kauffman

Contributing Economic Analyst

Jeff Kauffman has been as recognized authority in trucking, logistics and transportation equipment since 1993. He has been a frequent contributor to national news outlets on economic and trucking industry trends, and writes a bimonthly column “Behind the Numbers,” which appears in Heavy Duty Trucking and on TruckingInfo.com.

The longtime global head of freight transportation research for Merrill Lynch, he now heads up his own transportation consulting firm, Tahoe Ventures. He is also serves as principal of transportation and logistics equity research at Vertical Research Partners.

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•August 8, 2019

Are the Economy’s Skies Turning Darker? [Commentary]

Growing up in the Midwest, you learn which cloud formations lead to slow and steady rain, and which often lead to more severe weather. Looking back at economic activity at the first half of 2019, we may be looking at the latter

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•May 28, 2019

What First-Quarter Fleet Earnings Tell Us

The 3.2% first-quarter GDP figure released by the Commerce Department seems to portray a stronger volume environment than was experienced by the trucking industry, judging by first quarter fleet earnings.

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•May 2, 2019

When Economic Data Isn’t What It Appears to Be

The first few months of 2019 showed many inconsistencies in economic data, varying wildly from month to month. Is our economy really this inconsistent or is there another reason for the variation?

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•April 1, 2019

Commentary: How a Tough Winter Impacted Trucking

Every winter impacts the economy in some way, but this season was especially tough and could have led to a slowdown in truck freight.

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•March 8, 2019

Commentary: What Do Fleet Earnings Tell Us About the State of Trucking?

Now that fleets have reported their 2018 earnings we take a dive into the results to see what it says about the current economic state of the trucking industry.

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•February 1, 2019

What Will Earnings Look Like for Fleets This Year?

With our 2019 economics and truck volume forecast in place, where should that take us in terms of earnings, and where are we in the course of the earnings cycle for truckers? Commentary from the February issue of Heavy Duty Trucking magazine.

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•December 21, 2018

Commentary: Welcome to the Year of the Consumer

On what should we base a 2019 forecast? Start with what makes up almost 70% of our economy: the U.S. consumer.

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•December 4, 2018

Where Are We in the Business Cycle?

Stock market volatility, rising interest rates, trade wars and other factors have some wondering if we’re standing on the precipice of the next recession. But company managements echo clear sailing ahead.

Articles•by Jeff Kauffman•November 28, 2018

Commentary: What Tonnage, Carloads and PMI Mean for Freight Demand

Understanding the relationship between truck tonnage and railroad carloads, as well as the importance of the Purchasing Managers’ Index in forecasting the direction of truck tonnage.