Freight markets are tightening after a prolonged downturn, but the driver is shrinking capacity rather than rising demand. In this Talking Transports podcast, DAT Principal Analyst Dean Croke joins Bloomberg Intelligence senior transportation and logistics analyst Lee Klaskow to discuss how regulatory enforcement around driver qualifications, fraud and compliance is removing trucks from the market. Spot rates in some lanes are up 20–25% year over year, with truck postings down about 30% and load postings rising, signaling tighter conditions. Croke highlights early increases in contract rates, growing volatility in produce and flatbed markets, and why the next cycle may be more sustained. He also explains how greater data transparency and AI adoption are accelerating market shifts and reshaping pricing dynamics.