Freight Forecast: Navigating the Trucking Downturn

Carter Vieth, Research Analyst at ACT Research, joins Fleet Owner’s Jeremy Wolf at ACT’s Market Vitals seminar to break down the state of North American equipment demand. In this sharp, data-rich discussion, Carter dives into why for-hire carriers are still battling profitability, how OEMs are responding to historically low demand, and what the elevated inventories mean for the future of Class 8 production. With clarity and insight, he outlines the risks of prolonged weakness into 2026 and explains ACT’s latest production forecasts. If you’re trying to understand what’s driving today’s equipment market — and what’s next — this episode delivers actionable intelligence straight from the source.