(NewsNation) — American truckers have been struggling for years, and now, new tariffs could put the industry in an even bigger bind.
President Donald Trump has announced a new 25% tariff on heavy-duty trucks made overseas. It covers most medium and heavy-duty trucks and key parts like engines and transmissions. It will take effect on Nov. 1, 2025.
Trump outlined the tariff on social media, saying the tariff is meant to protect the American trucking industry from what he called unfair outside competition.
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But truckers say what they need right now is stability, not more uncertainty for an industry trying to stay afloat.
The trucking industry had been on shaky ground before this, with rates slowing since 2022, companies folding and costs climbing.
S&P Global reports that approximately 40% of big rigs sold in the U.S. originate from Mexico and Canada, and even U.S.-made big rigs rely heavily on foreign parts.
Lewie Pugh, with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, says the problem runs deeper than tariffs.
“The real problem in trucking, and why the trucking economy is going down and continues to be down, goes back to more issues over capacity, over buying,” he said. “The industry is reeling and suffering because of lots of other things. Tariffs are just a new thing that’s being added on to the top.”
Department of Transportation data shows that freight has been slowing for more than two years and experts warn that new tariffs could pile on to some of the existing challenges, from driver shortages to higher costs not just for parts, but also repairs and maintenance.
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With so much being shipped by freight from coast to coast across the country, it’s possible that the higher costs will be passed on to consumers.
Craig Decker, with Brown Gibbons Lang, which advises companies on transportation and logistics, told NewsNation that these costs get built into prices.
He says that happens at the border, building the cost of tariffs into the price and creating a trickle-down effect.
Right now, truckers are feeling it the most, because they’re not getting the compensation they deserve. But Decker said consumers could very well be next.
