Despite the fact that carriers are confident about the year ahead, one in four are considering exiting the industry over the next 18 months
, according to Transport Capital Partners' (TCP) recent Business Expectations Survey.

TCP uses the quarterly survey to collect the insights and opinions of executives nationwide in order to report on the current state of the industry and future expectations.

"TCP's surveys over the last five quarters clearly show carriers have become more confident in rates and volumes, but in the short run a substantial number of carriers say they are considering leaving if tonnage does not increase in six months," said Richard Mikes, a managing partner for TCP. "Over a quarter of carriers would be interested in selling over the next 18 months."

"The survey shows that small carriers generally are less optimistic and more anxious to sell than their larger competitors (with over $25 million in revenue), with the total number of carriers saying they would be interested in selling up about 50 percent over last quarter," said Lana Batts, a managing partner for TCP.

Both Batts and Mikes say the industry is ripe for a flurry of acquisitions in the next 18 months.

"In general, more carriers are interested in buying (37 percent) compared to selling (28 percent), led by larger carriers with a 2-to-1 margin over smaller carriers," Mikes said. He added that this may be reflective of public carriers with larger cash positions.

To view graphs from TCP, click here.