According to the latest shipping index in the United States, the National Truck Shipping Market grew in the second quarter of 2025, as both shipping and spending sizes increased for the first time since the second quarter of 2022. The National Bank shipping index increased by 2.4 % from the first quarter, while the national spending index increased by 1.2 %.
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Although the quarterly data shows improvement, comparisons on an annual basis still refer to a shrinkage, as shipments decreased by 9.8 % and a decrease of 4.9 % compared to the second quarter of 2024. However, these numbers represent the smallest decreases on an annual basis since the first quarter of 2023, indicating early signs of market installation. The data from the Indexbox platform confirms this trend for gradual recovery after a long period of contraction.
The economic factors that affect the shipping movement were mixed. Manufacturing activity showed a slight improvement at the national level, while housing standards had decreased in general. Ports sizes in both American ports and seaports showed uneven performance. The report attributes some quarterly gains to reduce the capacity of the truck instead of increasing demand.
Shipping rate data showed that spending was softer than shipping on a successive basis, mainly due to the decrease in additional fuel fees. Fuel spending decreased to $ 0.02 per mile (4.5 %) from the first quarter. The price of the contracts remained a quarter of a quarter, while immediate market prices decreased by 1.4 %. On an annual basis, all price measures decreased.
At the regional level, all the five areas followed by the index published a serial charge for the first time since Q2 2021. The southwest has advanced 6.7 %, while the southeast showed the smallest improvement at 0.1 %. The northeast has emerged as a prominent performance, as the shipping index increased by 3.3 % over the first quarter and an increase of 2.7 % over the previous year-the largest increase in all regions.
The report warns that it may be too early to announce the final market recovery, noting that increases can be affected by the volatility of tariffs and uncertainty. Continuous recovery depends on the clarity of the market, especially with regard to international commercial policies.
Source: Indexbox Market Intelligence
