Conditions for the American economy are improving and may continue doing so, according to a new report out from one private research group.
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 0.7% in September to 97.1, following a 0.7% increase in August, and a 0.4% hike in July. The September gain was more than many economist were expecting.
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“The September LEI suggests the economy was expanding modestly and possibly gaining momentum before the government shutdown,” said Ken Goldstein, economist at The Conference Board. “Beyond the immediate fallout of the shutdown, the biggest challenge is whether relatively weak consumer demand, pinned down by weak wage growth and low levels of confidence, will recover during the final stretch of 2013 and into 2014.”
The LEI uses ten components to measure the state of the economy and is a barometer of conditions three to six months down the road.
Listen as transportation attorney and TruckSafe Consulting President Brandon Wiseman joins the HDT Talks Trucking podcast to unpack the “regulatory turbulence” of last year and what it means for trucking fleets in 2026.
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The Federal Highway Administration is asking motor carriers and truck drivers to give input on where and when drivers have difficulty finding truck parking, and on how drivers prefer to get information on available parking.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration continues a crackdown on an increasing number of states it says have been issuing non-domiciled CDLs improperly.
The Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration took several actions in 2025 to tighten enforcement of regulations for commercial drivers. Will those affect trucking capacity in 2026?
Lisa Kelly talks to HDT about the return of the show Ice Road Truckers, what really happens on the ice roads, how reality TV shapes drivers’ stories, and the career she’s built beyond the show.