Shippers heading into 2026 are feeling cautiously optimistic but aren’t assuming everything will go their way, according to a new survey from Averitt.
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More than 1,000 supply chain, logistics, and procurement pros across North America answered the questions for Averitt’s annual State of the North American Supply Chain Survey.
Most people still think shipping volumes will rise next year, but not by much. About 59% expect volumes to increase, which is the lowest level of positive outlook in the past decade. Meanwhile, 37% expect volumes to stay the same, and just 3.6% think they’ll drop.
That mix shows companies aren’t expecting a downturn, but they also aren’t planning for a big surge. Instead, they’re taking a more careful approach as capacity stays tight and execution risks remain.
Tariffs are still an issue. More than half of survey respondents said tariffs had a negative effect on their operations, while only a small share said tariffs had a positive effect, and many were unsure of the impact.
“Shippers aren’t pulling back, but they are planning differently,” said Kent Williams, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Averitt. “What we’re seeing is confidence with guardrails. Organizations still expect demand to hold, but they’re building strategies around execution risk, tariff pressure, and reduced margin for error rather than assuming ideal conditions.”
