This week’s guests are my two DAT iQ colleagues: Ken Adamo, Chief of Analytics, and Dean Croke, Principal Analyst. This is our annual end of the year podcast where we revisit our predictions from last year, discuss the major issues of the current year, and take our best guesses as to what will happen next year. We did not do that well in our annual predictions for 2025 - we all expected dry van spot rates to increase by anywhere from 3 to 12% when in fact they dropped by more than 2%. Tariff uncertainty and weak demand were noted as the primary culprits. Ken aptly described 2025 as "a long protracted sigh." Dean expressed the surprising influence of social media on regulatory policy, as a questionable TikTok video led to an executive order and strengthened FMCSA policy regarding English language proficiency and CDL standards. This led to predictions that 2026 will bring a gradual recovery mainly due to the exodus of capacity rather than any increase in demand. The conversation concludes with predictions for 2026 dry van spot rates, with forecasts ranging from an increase of 3% to 10% by the end of the year. Let’s see how we do!