Analyst's tariffs outlook: Hurting what trucks haul in 2025

ACT Research's Ken Vieth lays out tariff policy burdens facing fleets and OEMs. Rising equipment costs and pricing pressures on consumers mean less freight for trucks to haul and pricier equipment.

Josh Fisher

Aug. 22, 2025

If goods cost more due to inflation from tariffs, consumers will simply get less stuff, and "stuff is what trucks haul,” Ken Vieth, president and senior analyst of ACT Research, told FleetOwner. In this video from ACT’s Market Vitals seminar, Vieth details the burdens of tariffs on the transportation industry.

But tariffs will not only weaken consumer spending; the recent tariffs on steel and aluminum will increase commercial vehicle equipment prices. He expects even more price increases as new tariffs are announced, which would further disadvantage U.S. manufacturers who use imported parts.

About the Author

Josh Fisher

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief Josh Fisher has been with FleetOwner since 2017. He covers everything from modern fleet management to operational efficiency, artificial intelligence, autonomous trucking, alternative fuels and powertrains, regulations, and emerging transportation technology. Based in Maryland, he writes the Lane Shift Ahead column about the changing North American transportation landscape.