Is the freight market finally turning?

TRUCK PARKING CLUB

Friday Bulletin • March 6, 2026

Good Morning Truck Parking Club Members,

Hope you all had an excellent week. For this newsletter, we:

• Have an update on the cabover

• Crossed 4400 locations!

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The Big Thing

The Big Thing Is the Freight Market Finally Turning?

The data is starting to say yes.

Class 8 truck orders hit 47,200 units in February, up 47% from January and 159% year over year. That's the highest monthly total since September 2022 and nearly double the 10-year average. Fleets don't write checks like that unless they're seeing something real.

February's Logistics Managers' Index added fuel to the fire. Transportation prices hit 76.7, the highest reading in four years. Utilization climbed to 61.9, the highest since May 2022. And the forward-looking number is the one worth watching: respondents expect transportation prices to expand to 80.3 over the next 12 months, which would be the fastest rate of growth since the market peak of March 2022.

Carriers are rejecting more than 13% of tendered loads. ACT Research sees contract rates up mid-single digits in February. Not spot noise, but a shift in contract portfolios. After two brutal years, the signs of a real recovery are stacking up.

Nobody's popping champagne yet. Risks are still out there. Tariff uncertainty, high financing costs, and regulatory wildcards. But the direction is clear: tighter capacity, stronger rates, and more freight moving.

If the market does turn, here's what that means on the ground: more trucks running more miles competing for the same parking spots. When the market was loose, finding a place to stop was annoying. In a tighter market, it's an operational bottleneck. Every hour a driver spends circling is an hour they're not moving freight.

Truck Parking Club has 4,400+ locations you can find, check, and book from your phone. No circling. No guessing. No wasted revenue.

If the turn is real, don't let parking be the thing that slows you down. Book at truckparkingclub.com.

Stay Off The Ramp

We get it. You're out of hours, the rest area's full, and the ramp is right there. But ramp parking puts you inches from 70 mph traffic — and it's not worth the risk.

Use code ramp25 for $25 off any daily booking at any of our 4,300+ locations. Find a real spot tonight.

Shell Rotella Promotion

New: Earn up to $100 in Club Cash with Shell Rotella oil change!

Follow the directions at the link below to receive up to $100 in Club Cash from Truck Parking Club when you purchase a minimum 11-gallon Shell Rotella® Synthetic heavy duty diesel engine oil change at participating locations. Offer ends June 30, 2026. Terms apply.

Cabover Update

Quick Hits

New: Super Trucker Membership — $9.99/month

• 5 refunds per month (cancel before booking starts, money goes to Club Cash)

• 5 free booking date changes per month

• 5% Club Cash on every purchase (up from 1%), up to $50/month

Property Members: Free Signage & Access Controls

Need signage for your lot? Have an automated gate you want connected to our app? We cover it.

News

SAFER Transport Act Takes Aim at Freight Fraud and Cargo Theft Sen. Todd Young introduced the SAFER Transport Act to strengthen federal efforts to prevent, detect, and punish freight fraud and cargo theft across the transportation ecosystem. The bill would phase out MC numbers in favor of USDOT numbers, create a freight fraud advisory committee, require DOT-DOJ coordination on theft cases, and increase criminal penalties for fraudulent certifications. According to ATRI, cargo theft is costing the trucking industry over $18 million per day, with strategic theft surging 1,500% since 2021. ATA, OOIDA, TIA, and TRALA are all backing it. When every major industry group agrees on something, pay attention. Read more — Overdrive

Class 8 Truck Orders Just Hit a 3-Year High North American fleets sharply increased orders for new heavy-duty trucks in February, with FTR reporting 47,200 Class 8 net orders — up 47% from January and 159% year over year. That's the highest monthly total since September 2022 and nearly double the 10-year February average. FTR analysts say momentum is now being driven by improving freight fundamentals, not just deferred replacements, with rising volumes and stronger rate expectations encouraging fleets to advance capital spending. Fleets don't write checks like this unless they believe the market is turning. Read more — FreightWaves

LMI: Freight Recovery Is in "Full Swing" February's Logistics Managers' Index showed transportation prices expanding to 76.7, up 5.2 points to a level not seen in four years. Transportation utilization hit 61.9 — the highest reading since May 2022. The forward-looking number is the one that should get your attention: respondents forecast transportation prices expanding to 80.3 over the next 12 months, which would be the fastest rate of expansion since the market peak of March 2022. The freight recession is officially in the rearview. Read more — FreightWaves

Non-Domiciled CDL Rule Goes Live March 16 — Congress Wants More FMCSA's final rule restricting non-domiciled CDLs takes effect March 16, limiting eligibility to holders of H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas, and requiring states that can't comply to immediately pause issuance. Meanwhile, a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on Wednesday pushed for ICE coordination in CDL enforcement, with Oklahoma's public safety commissioner testifying that the state has taken over 450 commercial drivers into custody for immigration violations. WWEX Group's VP of carrier procurement called non-domiciled CDL restrictions a potential game-changer for capacity — roughly 200,000 carriers could be impacted if fully implemented. This is a capacity story as much as it is a policy story. Read more — FreightWaves

Walmart Pays $100M for Stiffing Spark Delivery Drivers Walmart agreed to a $100 million settlement with the FTC and 11 states over allegations it deceived Spark Driver delivery workers about base pay, tips, and incentive earnings. The company allegedly showed drivers inflated tip amounts, split tips across multiple drivers without disclosure, reduced pay after drivers accepted orders, and told customers "100% of tips go to the driver" — which wasn't true. Up to $79 million goes directly to drivers, with $11 million to states and $10 million to the FTC for consumer refunds. If you're a platform that pays drivers, transparency isn't optional. The FTC just proved it. Read more — Federal Trade Commission

Spot Rates Holding Strong While Intermodal Lags Behind Trucking spot rates have staged a meaningful recovery and are holding elevated around $2.80 per mile inclusive of fuel, while intermodal rates remain stubbornly anchored near cycle lows. Carriers are rejecting more than 13% of tendered truckload shipments, with nationwide tender rejections at 11.5%. ACT Research sees truckload contract rates up mid-single digits in February — a shift in contract portfolios, not just spot noise. The spread between trucking and intermodal can't hold forever. When it closes, shippers feel it everywhere. Read more — FreightWaves

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