
The transportation industry entered 2025 carrying familiar baggage: soft demand, excess capacity, and a persistent sense of uncertainty that had defined the market for the prior two years.

Key Takeaways:
- October is busier than it looks — holiday freight, tariffs, and consumer demand shifts make it a high-impact shipping month.
- Dry van capacity tightens near ports, while Midwest supply is looser.
- Reefers shift west for harvests and south for cross-border produce.
- Flatbed and oversize freight face weather, daylight, and football-related restrictions; planning ahead is critical.
- Shippers can cut costs by booking early, considering trailer alternatives, providing accurate specs, and staying flexible with timing.
October brings the World Series, Halloween, and the start of the fourth quarter. And while it would be easy to write October off as the last month before the busy holiday season, experienced shippers know that this is actually one of the most action-packed shipping months.
As winter fades and spring takes hold, the freight market undergoes seasonal shifts that can impact your supply chain.

Freight brokerage is a competitive business. We’d venture to say that providing this third-party transportation service is one of the nation’s most competitive jobs in one of the most saturated markets.