# FTR's Eric Starks: truck utilization may be near 100% and contract rates could climb toward 20% in 2027 — but fuel cash flow decides which carriers keep the gains

> FTR Transportation Intelligence chairman Eric Starks told an October 28 conference in Dallas that data center construction and improving manufacturing are lifting freight demand. He said tight truck capacity, partly from non-domiciled CDL and training-provider constraints, could push contract rates toward 20% growth in 2027.

- Date: 2026-11-03 · published 2026-11-04T03:07:30.866Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/78987-ftr-s-eric-starks-truck-utilization-may-be-near-100-and-contract-rates-could
- Commodities: [ULSD / Diesel](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DIESEL.md)

## Why it matters

Tight trucking capacity and rising contract rates raise freight costs for feed ingredients moved by road, while diesel costs squeeze smaller carriers. Higher diesel and freight expenses feed into delivered feed prices.

## Read by commodity

- DIESEL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DIESEL | 2022-11-07 | [Transportation snags impacting grain movement this fall and it could continue into spring - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10338-transportation-snags-impacting-grain-movement-this-fall-and-it-could-continue.md) | -5.0% | -30.6% |
| DIESEL | 2019-02-08 | [Port Report: Coastal shift in U.S. container trade might be in cards for 2020 - FreightWaves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60490-port-report-coastal-shift-in-u-s-container-trade-might-be-in-cards-for-2020.md) | +3.8% | +5.3% |
| DIESEL | 2026-04-28 | [Diesel prices ease in US, but West Coast fleets hammered by spike - Truck News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19892-diesel-prices-ease-in-us-but-west-coast-fleets-hammered-by-spike-truck-news.md) | +2.2% | -6.2% |
| DIESEL | 2018-10-31 | [U.S. freight costs continue upward climb \| 2018-10-31  \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/62425-u-s-freight-costs-continue-upward-climb-2018-10-31-world-grain.md) | -3.2% | -18.8% |
| DIESEL | 2026-06-03 | [Grain Journal \| Transportation Demand Stays Strong as Costs Climb](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19025-grain-journal-transportation-demand-stays-strong-as-costs-climb.md) | -5.4% | -14.7% |

## Sources

- cdlwire.com: https://cdlwire.com/2026/11/03/ftr-starks-utilization-near-100-contract-2027

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.