19th Consecutive Month of Negative Growth In Freight Brokerages

19th Consecutive Month of Negative Growth In Freight Brokerages

Freight brokerages have experienced 19 consecutive months of negative net growth, with another 188 losing their authorities, continuing the decline for the 19th straight month. As of August 31, there are 26,216 active freight brokerages registered with the FMCSA.

Considering a growth trend of approximately 6% annually since 2017, we would expect to see 1,850 (or 7.1%) more active freight brokerages today.

Updated Growth Rates:

  • 6-Month: -5.9%
  • 1-Year: -11.6%
  • 2-Year: -15.3%
  • 3-Year: -3.6%
  • 4-Year: +17.2%
  • 5-Year: +24.3%

Image: Net Changes In Trucking Authorities, FreightWaves SONAR. Source: Tanner DeHart

The trucking industry is experiencing a loss of over 400 carriers per week. Since November 2022, the average net change in trucking authorities has been negative, with only a few exceptions. Currently, there are 345,000 active carriers, a decrease from the peak of 390,000 when this decline began.