What will be driving freight in 2025? According to Keith Prather of Armada Corporate Intelligence, the freight landscape is being shaped by a complex mix of tariff concerns, smarter inventory planning, and steady retail demand. In a recent Logistics Management Podcast with Jeff Berman, Prather outlined five critical trends that every shipper should be monitoring:
1. Destocking Is Mostly Complete — But Freight Volumes Are Still UncertainAfter two years of inventory correction, Prather says the destocking cycle is finally over. “We knew the inventories were balanced and thought it would be a really good freight year,” he said. And January and February showed early promise.
But there’s a catch: some of that freight strength may have been pulled forward. “Companies were trying to get ahead of tariff risk,” Prather explained, adding that some freight activity expected in Q2 might have been pushed into Q1.
2. Tariff Fears May Have Shifted Demand EarlierBetwe…