40 years of trucking history: Deregulation to 2026
ACT Research's Ken Vieth breaks down 40 years of trucking industry cycles, from deregulation and variable-geometry turbochargers to current spot rate trends.
How has the commercial trucking industry evolved over the last four decades—and where is the market heading next?
In this video, Ken Vieth, president of ACT Research, at ACT’s 75th Market Vitals seminar in Columbus, Indiana, walks through 40 years of commercial vehicle history and discusses the major economic forces shaping the industry today.
Looking back over ACT’s 40-year history, Vieth breaks down how the 1980 Motor Carrier Act reshaped fleet operations, why guaranteed residual valuations bit the industry in 2001, and how recent private fleet expansions created a crunch for for-hirecarriers. Plus, Vieth’s take on current spot rates, contract pricing, and what labor and housing trends mean for the near future.
Editor Jeremy Wolfe joined the FleetOwner team in February 2024. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with majors in English and Philosophy. He previously served as Editor for Endeavor Business Media's Water Group publications.
