HIGHWAY SPENDING
$150.9BAnnualized rate, June 2026IRON SHEEPDOG INTELLIGENCE · BROKERS
Turn market signals into booked work.
See where construction demand is building, what could tighten capacity and which operating risks need to be priced before the contractor calls.
AUGUST 2026 MARKET READ
The numbers shaping near-term conversations
National figures establish the backdrop. Real broker opportunity still depends on awarded work, mobilization timing and local truck coverage.
PUBLIC WORK
$544.1BAnnualized rate, June 2026CONSTRUCTION JOBS
8.34MUp 22,000 in JulyU.S. DIESEL
$5.454Per gallon, August 17BEFORE THE PHONE RINGS
Four questions worth answering first
Good intelligence narrows where to spend time and gives the first sales conversation more substance.
01
Is the work real?
Separate funded, awarded or mobilizing work from announcements that may never create near-term truck demand.
02
When does demand hit?
Project stage matters more than headline value. Track bid, award, notice-to-proceed and production milestones.
03
Can the market cover it?
Confirm truck types, geography, shift requirements and competing work before promising contractor capacity.
04
What can break the margin?
Price fuel, deadhead, wait time, payment timing and schedule volatility into the operating plan.
CURRENT BROKER SIGNALS
What deserves attention now
Directional signals for prioritization—not guarantees of individual project demand or available trucks.
Transportation work remains the strongest public demand base.
Highway spending increased in May, supporting continued prospecting around active civil programs and awarded packages.
Local coverage should be verified early.
National truck employment softened slightly, but the useful question is whether the right trucks are available near the job.
Fixed-rate quotes need fuel protection.
Diesel is well above the prior-year level, increasing exposure when work, miles or cycle times change after pricing.
Lead with project context, not a generic pitch.
Contractors respond better when the outreach reflects the stage, geography, material flow and likely capacity problem.
BROKER INTELLIGENCE WORKFLOW
From signal to covered load
Use public intelligence to improve timing, then use Iron Sheepdog to coordinate the operating work.
Find demand
Track funded projects, awards and mobilization signals in the territories that matter.
Qualify the job
Confirm scope, truck types, material flow, schedule and decision-makers.
Build capacity
Recruit and coordinate trusted haulers before production pressure peaks.
Run and invoice
Move from dispatch through tickets, documentation and payment with cleaner data.
PUT THE INTELLIGENCE TO WORK
Grow the brokerage without adding chaos.
Use stronger market context to find the right opportunities, then manage dispatch, tickets, documentation and payment through Iron Sheepdog.
DATA & METHOD
National figures use the latest releases available in August 2026. Project-level decisions still require local verification.