CNBC included DataDocks appointment data and commentary from founder Nick Rakovsky in its April 2, 2025 reporting on freight activity ahead of new US tariffs. The article, by Lori Ann LaRocco, featured two charts attributed to DataDocks.
What the data showed
In the reported DataDocks figures, freight bookings scheduled for April were down 41% from the previous month and 35% from the previous year. Rakovsky described a widespread retreat in forward bookings as organizations paused decisions amid uncertainty.
These figures concern scheduled truck delivery and pickup appointments. The April comparison used projected full-month data. It is a historical snapshot of bookings, rather than a measurement of completed April shipments across the entire US freight market.
Reading a booking signal
For an operations team, a booking is a plan that can still change. A vehicle might arrive at a different time, an appointment might be cancelled, or a carrier might book closer to the delivery date. Understanding those differences helps a team interpret a quiet calendar without assuming that every empty slot represents a lost shipment.
A useful planning discussion starts with three questions: How far ahead are carriers booking? How often are appointments changing? How does the current schedule compare with completed arrivals? Looking at those questions together can help teams decide when to revisit staffing and communicate with carriers.
The linked CNBC report preserves the original reporting context. The figures above describe that April 2025 snapshot and should not be used as a current freight forecast.