Truckstop's Sean Dehan Discusses Freight Market Trends and Challenges
Sean Dehan, COO and Chief Strategy Officer at Truckstop, highlighted key trends in the freight market during an interview on FreightWaves Today. Spot load volume on Truckstop’s platform is up about 20% year-over-year for September, with flatbed freight showing its strongest growth since 2008 due to data center construction and AI infrastructure investment. Van and reefer segments are more capacity-driven than demand-driven, while shippers consider intermodal alternatives amid rising linehaul contract rates. Dehan also noted that carriers face margin pressures from increasing insurance premiums and record diesel prices, particularly in California where fuel has reached $10 per gallon for the first time. Legal challenges such as the Montgomery and Lupus cases are reshaping brokerage liability standards, with brokers now demanding more carrier safety data to mitigate legal risks. Dehan emphasized that regulatory changes have effectively set a new inflationary baseline for freight rates.
Topics: flatbed freight freight market load volume growth Truckstop strategy