Q&A: What’s trending in the truckload industry

Fresh off the convention, Ryan sat down with Amy Panagiotou, chief underwriting officer of marine, to discuss his key takeaways from the event and share insights on the emerging trends shaping the motor truck cargo space, along with the challenges and opportunities they create for independent insurance agents and brokers.

 

Amy: Ryan, what key trends are going to shape the truckload space in 2026?

Ryan: The theme of this year’s convention was “Powering Through Disruption,” and that disruption comes in several different forms. The economy continues to be a concern for the truckload industry. The tough economy has consumers focusing on services over goods, so there’s less freight to move. Carrier supply is also tightening due to rising operating costs and more focus on regulation enforcement. So, while demand isn’t booming, the cost to move freight continues to rise at the same time and has pushed out many motor carriers big and small. Plus, the federal focus on safety has made necessary leaps and is getting a lot stronger. Carriers can expect stricter, more consistent enforcement across training, driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance and electronic logging. Together, these forces push fleets to focus less on raw growth and more on optimization, safety discipline and margin quality. 

Amy: Let’s go deeper into the economy. How is it impacting carriers?

Ryan: First and foremost, there’s less demand. In tough economic times we often see service-type spending outpace spending on goods, and that’s what we’re seeing now. So, there’s simply less freight to move when consumers aren’t buying as many tangible products, which puts a ceiling on truckload volume.

On the supply side, carriers are feeling the squeeze because the operational costs are soaring. This spike, paired with a weak freight market, is squeezing margins and creating serious financial strain for carriers. 

Agents and brokers will see this show up in a couple of ways when it comes to evolving carrier operations. First, to keep their margins up, carriers may start working with new shippers, hauling different types of cargo or even running in new regions. When a carrier moves outside what it normally handles, the risks change too. Things like packaging, how loads are secured, temperature controls, theft exposure and even how salvage is handled can look very different. Second, many carriers are trying to reduce volatility by taking on more dedicated or contract freight and relying less on the spot market. That means carriers can better predict what the costs are going to be and what the profit is going to be, so there’s more certainty. It also offers more predictable routes and schedules. That makes life easier for drivers, helps with equipment maintenance, and supports better cargo handling. 

Amy: You mentioned that the federal focus on safety is getting a lot stronger. What’s changing and how will it impact carriers? 

Ryan: The message from FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) leadership is clear: 2026 is all about safety first. After years of looser oversight and assumed compliance, the agency is raising the bar, getting stricter on enforcement and tightening the rules to improve training and safety standards. Three areas to watch include:

1. Entry-level driver training and CDL mills – The message is that a CDL (commercial driver’s license) needs to mean something and reflect real skill, not shortcuts. The FMCSA is continuing to crack down on training programs that let unqualified drivers circumvent the process and quickly and easily get a CDL.
2. ELD (electronic logging device) integrity – ELDs are used to track hours of service compliance. There is a 14-hour window that a driver can drive in any given day, and within that there’s an 11-hour driving limit. After violations and complaints about edited driver logs, federal vetting of ELD providers is tightening, with some providers and devices actively being removed from the approved list.
3. Crackdown on “chameleon” carriers – In February, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman introduced the SAFE (Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement) Act to combat unsafe trucking companies that try to hide their poor violation history by shutting down and reopening under a new name or shuffling power units between commonly owned operating authorities. The name and DOT number on the side of the truck change, but they will utilize the same trucks, managers, drivers and even the same address. This is all to circumvent safety requirements, avoid further penalties including revocation, mislead insurance carriers and minimize public scrutiny. The SAFE Act puts a system in place to spot these chameleon carriers during the registration process, so regulators can link them back to their real operating history and hold them accountable for violations.

All these efforts point in the same direction: cracking down on unsafe and unscrupulous carriers. That’s good news for responsible fleets that invest in safety. It removes bad actors from the road, reduces unfair competition, improves overall highway safety and helps create a more stable, predictable operating environment for carriers that are doing things the right way.

 

Amy: What are the better-run motor carriers doing to power through the disruption in the truckload space?

Ryan: Right now it’s all about optimization. The best carriers are being selective about customers and freight. They aren’t just trying to haul more loads, they’re trying to haul the right ones. They’re choosing shippers and commodities that give them better lane balance and fewer empty miles, instead of chasing high risk, last minute freight that wears down drivers and equipment.

The best carriers are also using technology to run smarter. A lot of carriers are investing in tools like transportation management systems and telematics to help with routing, hours of service tracking, GPS geofencing and alerting them when something goes off plan. For cargo specifically, the most valuable data includes things like temperature logs, seal and chain of custody records, GPS and alerts for high theft areas. Even if not all tech ties directly to cargo coverage, fleets that use data to manage their operation tend to have fewer and less severe cargo losses. Agents and brokers should highlight any cargo specific data their clients can provide during underwriting and after binding.

Amy: How can agents and brokers work with The Hanover to navigate this fast-changing industry?

Ryan: The truckload industry is constantly evolving, with new regulations, technologies and challenges emerging. The Hanover stays on top of trends and has a deep understating of the truckload industry so we can help agents navigate these complexities while providing flexible and targeted motor truck cargo insurance solutions.