The barometers that trucking sometimes turns to in order to gauge the future health of the industry are mixed. As recently as yesterday, several figures were released which, while they weren’t cause for celebration, weren’t cause for alarm, either.
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported the durable goods orders fell again in February, but nowhere near as fast as the previous month. The 0.2 percent decline follows a revised decline of 7.3 percent in January. Reuters reported the number was worse than its survey of economists were expecting, who were forecasting the number to be unchanged. The biggest drop was reported in the transportation sector, including orders for airplanes and cars, which fell 2.6 percent, after nose-diving 23.7 percent the month before. Excluding this sector, durable goods orders actually increased 0.5 percent for the month, following a 1.6 percent decline in January.
The news came on the same day the Conference Board release its numbers indicating that consumer confidence in the U.S economy rose for the first time in five months. The private group reported its index of consumer attitudes of 5,000 households rose to 117 in March, up from an upwardly revised February number of 109.2. The number beat Wall Street forecasts of a drop to 104.5 for the month. Bloomberg reported the news caused the NASDAQ Composite Index, Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 Index all to post strong gains.
Meanwhile, the day before, another favorite barometer of trucking chimed in with numbers on sales of new homes. The Commerce Department reports sales of single family homes fell again in February, but not as much as the month before, registering a 2.4 percent decline following a January drop of 5.4 percent. Trucking will still have to wait before figures of new home starts are released. Both are important indicators as to the future health of the trucking industry because so many construction products are shipped by truck. Analysts say housing starts are still strong, due mainly to cuts in interest rates.
Trucking Barometers Mixed
The barometers that trucking sometimes turns to in order to gauge the future health of the industry are mixed. As recently as yesterday, several figures were released which, while they weren’t cause for celebration, weren’t cause for alarm, either
More Fleet Management

AI Security Risks for Trucking Fleets: What to Know About Deepfakes and Agentic AI
As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.
Read More →
FMCSA’s Motus System Is Coming. What Fleets Need to Know Now
The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.
Read More →
Cargo Theft Incidents Fall in Q1, but Organized Crime and Impersonation Drive New Risks
CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.
Read More →
Nominations Open for HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026
Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.
Read More →
New Trojan Driver Cargo Theft Scam Bypasses Carrier Vetting Systems
Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.
Read More →
March Truck Tonnage Posts Strongest Annual Gain Since 2022
A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.
Read More →
Ohio Turnpike Targets $5.2 Million in Unpaid Tolls from Trucking Firms
More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.
Read More →
'Beyond Compliance,' Regulations, Driver Coaching on ATRI’s 2026 Research List
The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.
Read More →
Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis on the Growing Need to Replace Old Trucks
Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis says it's time for fleets to get back to the fundamentals of good maintenance practices. And that includes replacing older, inefficient equipment.
Read More →
Truckstop.com Adding to Open Deck, Heavy Haul Offerings
Load matching for flatbed, lowbed, oversize and overweight loads can't be automated like basic van freight, but Truckstop.com is adding more high-tech tools to help.
Read More →
