Trucking freight demand fell by roughly a third between April and October, despite the latter half of that period representing what should be the peak shipping season ahead of the holidays.

According to a survey of more than 270 U.S. logistics professionals from technology media outlet Tech.co, just 26% of respondents reported a high level of trucking freight demand in October, compared to 41% in April. That drop reflects a market where shippers are moving fewer loads than expected, and where the traditional rhythms of logistics are no longer dependable, Tech.co said in its report.

"Our latest research should set alarm bells ringing for the logistics industry," said Tech.co editor Jack Turner in a November 19 release, noting that 20% of respondents said that "managing financial pressure" was their top priority, particularly as tariffs have strained global trade and tightened margins for a range of business sectors.

Read More: Trump's Tariffs Put a Pinch on U.S. Trade in August

Those concerns are being echoed across the industry, with separate research from freight research firm DAT Freight & Analytics revealing that truckload freight volumes fell for the fourth consecutive month in October, as shippers have opted to draw on inventory they built up earlier in the year rather than bring in new shipments. Freight forecaster ACT Research similarly warned in an October 23 report that the trucking sector has entered an “extended correction cycle,” with soft demand, excess capacity and tariff-related cost pressures all contributing to a slowdown in freight activity.

At the Port of Los Angeles, cargo volumes fell 4% in October from the previous month, and dipped by more than 6% year-over-year. In a November 18 briefing, the port's executive director Gene Seroka predicted that cargo volumes will continue to soften in the closing months of year, given that retail and manufacturing inventories appear to be well-stocked, thanks to a surge in shipments in the weeks leading up to the early-August implementation of sweeping U.S. tariffs against dozens of nations.