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Follow the ATA Tonnage MoM 2026 market series on Rig Load, including resolved outcomes, active installments and what comes next.
ATA tonnage is the broadest measure of freight volume. May sees seasonal demand pickup (Mother's Day, Memorial Day, summer goods shipments). MoM growth would signal demand momentum is building.
May benefits from seasonal freight activity: produce season, Memorial Day retail and the ramp toward summer inventory builds. The question is whether June can sustain that momentum or whether volumes level off. The ATA Truck Tonnage Index is the broadest measure of for-hire freight volume in the United States. MoM growth from May to June on a non-seasonally-adjusted basis would suggest demand is not just seasonal but genuinely building. February 2026 tonnage rebounded sharply after weather-disrupted January volumes, so the trendline heading into midyear matters.
June-to-July is a transitional period for freight volumes. Summer demand is still elevated but produce season fades, and early back-to-school shipments start thinning out. The ATA Truck Tonnage Index tends to flatten or dip slightly in this window on a non-seasonally-adjusted basis. MoM growth from June to July would be a bullish signal that the for-hire freight recovery has staying power heading into the second half of 2026. The Cass Freight Index shipments component has been declining year over year throughout 2025 and into 2026, making any positive truck tonnage momentum noteworthy.
August is the start of peak freight season. Back-to-school, harvest shipping and early holiday inventory positioning typically push freight volumes higher. The ATA Truck Tonnage Index has shown MoM gains in August in most recent years, making this the easiest MoM hurdle of the three-month stretch. The more interesting signal is the magnitude: a strong August would reinforce the case that 2026 is the genuine freight recovery year after two years of for-hire contraction. ATA publishes the August truck tonnage reading roughly three to four weeks after month-end.
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