New Study Finds 58% of Truckloads Moved Over Half Empty in 2024

The report uncovers a rise in underutilized truckloads and costly inefficiencies across the freight industry, underscoring the urgent need for more flexible and cost efficient shipping solutions.

/EIN News/ -- Encinitas, CA, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flock Freight has partnered with Drive Research to release the 2025 edition of its annual shipper research study, spotlighting critical inefficiencies and challenges facing the trucking industry. The report reveals a significant surge in truckload underutilization, with 58 percent of truckloads moving partially empty in 2024, up from 43 percent in 2023. This study highlights a critical need for efficiency-focused solutions as the freight market prepares for recovery in a volatile economic climate. 

"We’re seeing more half-empty trucks on the road than ever before, a result of a soft freight market where low costs make shipping empty space less of a concern. Shippers rely on truckload freight for its flexibility and ability to quickly bring goods to market—a need that won’t disappear even as the market rebounds and the cost of shipping unused space increases,” said Flock Freight CCO, Chris Pickett. “What shippers truly need is a solution that lets them pay only for the space they use, without sacrificing service quality or cargo security. That’s exactly where Flock’s Shared Truckload comes in."

Key findings 

The study surveyed 1,000 transportation decision-makers spanning industries such as retail, industrial machinery, food and beverage, and consumer packaged goods. Key findings included:

• Truckload underutilization is on the rise
  • 58% of truckloads moved with empty trailer space in 2024, up +15% year over year.
  • The average underutilized truckload left 34 linear feet of space unused, or the equivalent of every third truckload moving completely empty.
• Service performance is critical to stay competitive
  • On-time performance was ranked as the #1 priority for choosing shipping solutions, as delays and penalties cost the average enterprise shipper $6.2 million annually in on-time in full (OTIF) late fees.
  • Over 45% of shippers booked truckloads because they were unsure that other modes would arrive on time.
• Fraud and theft costs shippers millions
  • Fraud and theft affected 1.11% of shipments in 2024, costing the average enterprise shipper $9.9 million annually.
  • Certain industries were impacted by fraud and theft more, including tech and electronics, food and beverage, and consumer packaged goods.

The freight industry faces challenges with inefficiency, rising costs, and increasing pressure for speed and reliability. Truckload underutilization and the demand for faster shipping go hand in hand, as speed to market has become an expectation rather than a luxury. The research also highlights growing on-time, in-full (OTIF) requirements from major retailers and distributors. In 2024, 1 in 6 less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments arrived late, pushing more shippers to choose expensive truckload options even when trailers weren’t fully loaded.   

Shared Truckload as a solution 

Flock Freight’s Shared Truckload (STL) model, powered by patented AI pooling technology, offers a critical answer to these challenges. The STL approach transforms underutilized truckloads by pooling compatible shipments from multiple shippers into a single truckload.

Shared Truckload empowers shippers to move freight as soon as it’s ready without waiting to fill an entire truck. This not only reduces costs but ensures on-time, damage-free delivery while maintaining truckload-level service quality. 

The STL model enables reliability without unnecessary financial and environmental waste, setting a standard for how shippers can implement more flexible, efficient solutions to remain competitive in today’s market. 

Looking ahead 

While Flock Freight’s 2024 report highlights significant inefficiencies, it also uncovers opportunities for innovation. Solutions like Shared Truckload help shippers stay ahead of volatility and rapidly shifting market demands.

Read the full research report here.

About Flock Freight 

Flock Freight is the largest Shared Truckload (STL) freight brokerage in the U.S., transforming underutilized truckload capacity into tangible value: cost savings for shippers, increased earnings for carriers, and a smaller carbon footprint. Their AI-powered, patented pooling technology optimizes across Flock’s entire customer network, combining shipments from thousands of businesses into efficient Shared Truckloads. With STL, shippers enjoy truckload-level service while only paying for the space they need. Trusted by thousands of customers, from some of the largest enterprises to growing brands, Flock Freight delivers an unmatched combination of cost efficiency, exceptional service, and a streamlined shipping experience.  

Learn more about Flock Freight’s solutions, services, and career opportunities at www.flockfreight.com.

About Drive Research

Drive Research is a global market research company specializing in custom-built, quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Our passionate team helps B2B and B2C organizations grow by extracting insights from the data we collect to accelerate sales, marketing, and business strategies. Learn more at driveresearch.com.

Research Methodology
The data supporting the content and objectives set forth in this paper come from an online survey conducted by Drive Research, a third party not affiliated with Flock Freight.  The survey took an average of 30 minutes to complete and included 53 questions. The survey received 1,000 responses. Fieldwork for the survey began on February 14 and lasted until March 14, 2025.
Target industries included retail, industrial machinery/equipment, building materials, food/beverage, technology/electronics, and consumer packaged goods. Target participant titles varied based on the size of the business (i.e., C-Suite officials, Vice Presidents, Directors, and Managers). A strong mix of company sizes to segment the data by the market included a distribution of $10M to $99M annual revenue, $100M to $499M annual revenue, $500M to $999M, $1 to 2.9 billion, and $3 billion or more annual revenue.
With a probabilistic sample, a total of 1,000 responses at the 95% confidence level offers a 5% margin of error. If the survey were conducted with another random pool of 1,000 respondents, the results would yield within +3% or -3% of the stated totals in the reports. The margin of error can be used as a guideline to understand the reliability of these results.

Sophia Parks
                    Flock Freight
                    press@flockfreight.com