Only an estimated 1.4% of FMCSA-registered motor carriers meet the threshold for specialized steel freight operations, according to the latest TA Steel Transportation Index released by TA Services.
Drawing on publicly available FMCSA registration data combined with TA operational insights, the quarterly publication estimates roughly 28,000 qualified carriers remain from a universe of the more than 2 million FMCSA-registered carriers.
"Steel transportation conditions continue to reflect a market where execution matters more than ever," says Scott Schell, president and CEO of TA Services. "Demand across industrial sectors remains healthy, but transportation complexity is increasing as qualified capacity becomes more difficult to secure. The industry’s focus should not be whether trucks are available, but whether they’re backed by qualified carriers with the expertise to move specialized steel freight."
Key takeaways:
· The challenge is no longer simply finding transportation capacity but rather securing qualified transportation capacity.
· The constraint is qualified open-deck capacity, where specialized equipment, cargo securement expertise, safety performance, insurance requirements, and operational experience significantly reduce the number of carriers capable of consistently supporting steel shipment market.
· Industrial demand remains resilient as infrastructure investment, automotive production, manufacturing activity, and continued data center construction sustain demand for specialized transportation resources. At the same time, those sectors increasingly compete for the same limited pool of qualified carriers.
· The report also highlights the shift in focus from setting climate targets toward demonstrating measurable progress and increasing demand for verified emissions reporting across supplier networks.
