That’s an improvement from the near gridlock of four years ago during the COVID-linked volume surge and the elevated dwell times during last year’s peak season, progress trucking companies say they have noticed.
Weather-related slowdowns were compounded by track work that typically wraps up in August but overlapped this year with an earlier-than-usual surge in international and domestic intermodal demand.
The dismal outlook for the second half of the year is prompting Wall Street analysts to rein in earnings expectations as many carriers also report steep declines in their profit margins amid a mix of overcapacity and “tariff-driven cost escalation.”
