Large Carriers Face Driver Squeeze as Flatbed Demand Jumps 77%

2 articles · Updated · FreightWaves · May 15

Truck transportation added 4,300 jobs in April 2026—the biggest monthly gain in nearly three years—giving drivers more options and making it harder for large fleets to hire and keep staff.
Van volumes are running 6.4% above their six-month average, while flatbed demand has surged 77%, tightening capacity and lifting rejection rates across the freight market.
That recovery is shifting leverage back to drivers, who can favor better-paying, higher-quality jobs as freight conditions improve.
Large carriers are increasingly being pushed to pay a premium to preserve headcount, showing how a stronger freight market is also raising labor costs.

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