The freight economy is flashing warning signs that can't be ignored. Heavy-duty truck sales across the US just nosedived 47% in the past quarter, hitting an annualized pace of just 363,000 units. That's the weakest we've seen since the chaos of early 2020.

For those tracking macro indicators, this matters. Big rigs don't get purchased on impulse—fleet operators buy them when they're confident about future shipping demand. When orders dry up this dramatically, it typically signals companies are bracing for slower economic activity ahead.

The transportation sector often telegraphs broader trends before they show up in headline GDP numbers. Worth watching if this weakness spreads to other industrial categories.