Two-Thirds of Carriers Expect to Boost Capacity, Survey Says

About two-thirds of motor carriers surveyed plan to increase capacity in the next 12 months, according to a second-quarter survey of trucking companies by Transport Capital Partners.

The survey’s findings — which matched TCP’s first-quarter results — showed that 65% of carriers said their capacity additions will be 5% or less, while about a quarter, 24%, of carriers said they planned capacity increases of more than 5%.

“Carriers continue to voice concerns about the ‘headwinds’ impacting operations and returns, but aging fleets and still relatively low interest rates are clearly offsetting factors,” TCP Partner Richard Mikes said in a statement.

The modest optimism regarding rate and volume expectations continues to influence whether carriers will add capacity, and, if so, to what degree, TCP said.

Larger carriers are more cautious than smaller carriers in their buying plans, with 19% planning to add more than 5% capacity, compared with 36% among smaller carriers, the study said.