Hey truckers, ever wonder why your grain hauls are lighter these days? 🚛🌾 It’s hitting the farms hard, and that means trouble for John Deere and your freight loads too.
The outlook for those iconic green and yellow tractors ain’t looking pretty right now. Farmers are getting squeezed by rock-bottom crop prices—soybeans and corn just aren’t paying like they used to. Add in President Trump’s tariff policies, and it’s a double whammy. Those tariffs are jacking up costs for equipment like tractors, while retaliatory hits from places like China are killing demand for U.S. exports. No exports mean fewer full trailers rolling out of the Midwest. 😩
For us drivers, this spells thinner freight rates on ag lanes. Less money in farmers’ pockets means they’re holding off on new gear, so John Deere’s sales are tanking—profits down, outlook weak. That ripples straight to your dispatch: shorter runs, delayed loads, maybe even bypassed routes if elevators aren’t buzzing. And don’t get me started on fuel surcharges—higher input costs from tariffs are creeping into everything, including what you pay at the pump. ⛽💸
It’s a tough spot for rural America, and we’re right in the cab feeling it. Keep an eye on those backhauls; might need to pivot to other freight if ag stays slow. 🛣️
Know this before your next haul: Chat with your broker about diversifying lanes. Share your take in the comments—how’s the farm freight treating you?
#TruckerLife #AgHauling #TariffTroubles #FarmFreight