{
  "id": 10760854,
  "title": "Supply Chain Economy: Why Consumer Sentiment is CRASHING Despite Growth",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/supply-chain-economy-why-consumer-sentiment-is-crashing-despite-growth",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-29T18:30:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "FreightWaves",
    "slug": "freightwaves",
    "url": "https://www.freightwaves.com/news/supply-chain-economy-why-consumer-sentiment-is-crashing-despite-growth"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Economists reveal a stark disconnect: while the economy is expanding, consumer sentiment has plummeted to levels last seen during the Global Financial Crisis. Dr. Jason Miller, interviewed on video, details the key factors driving this phenomenon. Freight volumes have risen about 1.5% year-over-year, primarily in sectors linked to data center construction, such as machinery, fabricated metals, and steel. However, this growth is fragile, as community opposition, AI company financial issues, and rising interest rates could impede the pipeline beyond the next six to nine months. Miller draws a parallel to the 2014 data center construction boom that later collapsed into an industrial recession, warning that if the data center ecosystem slows significantly next year while single-family housing remains weak, freight demand will suffer. Current trucking conditions are described as a \"Goldilocks zone,\" with ample capacity to support rate increases but not yet overheated to cause a surge. However, challenges remain, including three consecutive bad years for carriers, English-language proficiency enforcement, and the Supreme Court's ruling on broker liability protections. Diesel prices above $4 per gallon are also hindering capacity re-entry, especially for 2027. Food and beverage freight demand has declined 3-4% due to GLP-1 drug adoption, reduced discretionary spending, high wheat prices, and retaliatory tariffs. Miller notes that this mirrors the 2011-2014 period, when freight demand grew without benefiting most consumers, leaving sentiment depressed even as GDP expanded. The Conference Board sentiment data dipped in September, reflecting widespread malaise. Much of this can be attributed to housing affordability, with median home prices around $390,000 to $400,000 creating a gap between qualifying income and median household income. Miller predicts a weaker spring 2026 ramp for flatbed carriers reliant on single-family housing starts. The Federal Reserve is set to raise interest rates twice more this year, potentially erasing all rate cuts made at the end of last year and risking a freight demand slowdown in 2027. Additionally, the prospect of large-scale military conflict involving Iran could further drive up energy prices, prompt the Fed to raise rates further, and worsen the overall freight market contraction.",
  "summary": "The economy is expanding, yet consumer sentiment is dipping below Global Financial Crisis levels. Dr. Jason Miller breaks down the surprising disconnect, revealing how everything from AI CapEx and rising interest rates to local NIMBYism and GLP-1 drugs are shaping the freight market. Discover which sectors are booming and which are hurting, and what it […] The post Supply Chain Economy: Why…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}