On-demand Freight Transportation Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Global On-demand Freight Transportation Market Trends and Insights

E-commerce-driven Surge in Spot Trucking Demand

The global shift toward digital retail fractures shipment sizes and compresses delivery windows, pushing shippers into the spot market where capacity can be secured on short notice. Amazon’s USD 4 billion outlay to extend same-day delivery to 4,000 rural U.S. communities illustrates how online sellers reshape regional fulfillment networks. Digital freight platforms benefit because algorithmic load matching aggregates fragmented freight and minimizes empty miles. As more retailers adopt micro-fulfillment hubs, real-time coordination becomes mission-critical, keeping the on-demand freight transportation market on an elevated growth path^{[1]Mathias Cormann, “International Transport Forum Outlook 2025,” Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, oecd.org}.

Driver Shortage Catalyzing Digital Load-Matching

A projected 1.2 million global driver gap by 2030 is forcing carriers to squeeze more productivity out of existing equipment. Platforms that offer automated reload suggestions and optimized routing help drivers reduce wait times and mileage without freight, effectively creating virtual capacity. Uber Freight’s collaboration with Aurora Innovation to pilot autonomous trucks on lanes tied to its USD 18 billion brokerage book highlights how technology can offset labor scarcity. Smaller carriers, lacking proprietary dispatch systems, increasingly rely on third-party apps for workflow automation, accelerating platform penetration across the on-demand freight transportation market^{[2]Pete Buttigieg, “2025 Truck Driver Workforce Report,” Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, fmcsa.dot.gov}.

Corporate Net-zero Targets Accelerating Low-carbon Freight Options

Climate-focused procurement policies are turning carbon visibility into a purchasing criterion alongside cost and speed. The Biden administration’s USD 1.5 billion program for zero-emission heavy trucks aligns public funding with corporate Science-Based Targets, ensuring infrastructure support for cleaner fleets. FedEx has invested USD 2 billion since 2023 to cut emissions intensity, setting industry benchmarks for integrating sustainability with logistics operations. Platforms that embed emissions calculators and prioritize carriers with newer, fuel-efficient assets differentiate their offer, adding momentum to the on-demand freight transportation market.

API-first TMS Integration Unlocking Real-time Capacity

Shippers increasingly expect their transportation management systems to connect to marketplaces through APIs instead of phone or email. C.H. Robinson’s AI-enabled freight classification raised its LTL order automation rate above 75%, proving that embedded connectivity slashes manual workload. DAT’s purchase of Trucker Tools brought carrier sourcing and live tracking into a single interface, illustrating how marketplaces evolve into infrastructure providers. As integration deepens, platform transactions migrate from ad-hoc spot bookings to recurring flows, creating more predictable volumes inside the on-demand freight transportation market.

Regulatory Risk Over Gig-economy Freight Labor

California’s AB5 statute and the EU Platform Work Directive 2024/2831 seek to reclassify many independent drivers as employees, potentially lifting operating costs for digital marketplaces. While the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s legal challenges continue, platforms must budget for higher payroll tax, insurance, and benefits should rulings go against them. Insurance brokers already report premium hikes as underwriters reassess risk under new employment definitions. Compliance costs could squeeze margins, prompting consolidation that favors well-capitalized leaders within the on-demand freight transportation market.

Spot-rate Volatility and Freight-cycle Whiplash

Freight rates fell sharply during the 2024 trucking recession, only to rebound as capacity exited the market. Smaller shippers shifted loads from spot to contracts to avoid price spikes, temporarily dampening marketplace volume. Because rate swings are tied to macro indicators that digital models cannot fully predict, revenue forecasting becomes harder for platform operators. Persistent volatility forces them to diversify service offerings and develop hedging tools, adding complexity to scaling the on-demand freight transportation market^{[3]Gina Raimondo, “Quadrennial Freight Review 2024 Executive Summary,” U.S. Department of Commerce, commerce.gov}.

Segment Analysis

By Service Type: Digital Brokerage Outpaces Last-mile Growth

Digital freight brokerage accounted for a 20.25% CAGR through 2030, overtaking the already sizable last-mile segment that held 45.71% revenue in 2024. The brokerage model benefits from network effects that reward early scale, as each new shipper or carrier increases liquidity and reduces search frictions. Higher automation means incremental bookings add volume without proportional headcount, improving margins and accelerating the on-demand freight transportation market size. Last-mile remains crucial for retailers, but physical handling and driver availability keep costs elevated, limiting scalability relative to pure digital dispatch.

Crowd-sourced delivery platforms form a niche inside the broader on-demand freight transportation market, leveraging gig drivers for overflow capacity in dense urban zones. Regulatory uncertainty around labor classification, however, may cap their share. Specialized services—temperature-controlled, hazardous materials, white-glove—occupy the “Others” category and show steady but slower growth because certification and equipment needs constrain supply. Overall, platform-enabled digital brokerage is positioned to become the anchor service tier by 2030.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Mode of Transport: Road Holds Scale, Air Leads Momentum

Road freight dominated with 64.44% of 2024 revenue, underscoring its versatility across full-truckload and less-than-truckload lanes. Algorithmic matching cuts empty miles and raises asset utilization, making digital platforms a natural fit for road carriers. Nevertheless, air freight is rising fastest at 18.76% CAGR as international e-commerce forces shippers to compress delivery times, especially on cross-border small-parcel lanes. This growth elevates the on-demand freight transportation market share of air, though cost keeps it a premium option. Rail intermodal and maritime appear in the “Other” grouping; both integrate with platforms for door-to-door coordination but expand at more tempered paces because infrastructure projects move slowly.

Capacity bottlenecks at major airports create opportunities for digital load aggregation, allowing smaller shipments to share space that forwarders once controlled manually. Road and air synergy strengthens multimodal solutions, helping platforms deliver end-to-end visibility and ensuring the on-demand freight transportation market offers comprehensive service menus.

By Delivery Speed: Same-day Drives Premium Value

Same-day services are advancing at a 19.55% CAGR, outpacing next-day and standard 3-5 day options, as retailers promise increasingly aggressive cut-off windows. Although standard services still held 38.53% of 2024 spend, shipper willingness to pay for speed diverts share to premium tiers and lifts the on-demand freight transportation market size for rapid offerings. Next-day sits between cost and urgency, maintaining relevance for mid-value goods. Economy (more than 5 days) remains a fallback for price-sensitive freight, but consolidation benefits make it vulnerable to cycles in fuel cost and capacity availability.

Infrastructure investments—micro-fulfillment nodes, nighttime delivery programs, and autonomous middle-mile pilots—bring unit costs for same-day deliveries down over time. As rural coverage expands thanks to Amazon-style programs, the total reachable market for premium delivery widens and supports longer-term growth trajectories.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By End-user Industry: Healthcare Leads Digital Adoption

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals, with a 19.97% CAGR, demand real-time condition tracking and strict regulatory compliance, pushing them toward technology-rich platforms. Cold-chain complexities require data transparency that legacy brokers cannot provide at scale, explaining healthcare’s outsized momentum in the on-demand freight transportation market. E-commerce and retail remained the largest user in 2024 at 26.10% share, reflecting sheer shipment volume but indicating slower relative growth as digital penetration matures. Consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, and industrial sectors maintain stable, cyclical demand tied to macroeconomic conditions and benefit from optimization tools that cut empty miles. Niche verticals—auto parts, electronics, chemicals—round out the “Others” group, each with specialized handling needs that encourage platform differentiation through tailored modules.

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific’s 41.87% 2024 revenue share reflects its twin roles as global factory and fast-growing consumer hub. China anchors intra-Asia flows, while India’s digital payment boom sparks demand for last-mile services. Mature logistics ecosystems in Japan and South Korea support advanced TMS adoption, and Southeast Asia’s internal trade corridors flourish under RCEP tariff reductions. With an 18.49% CAGR to 2030, the region will keep widening its lead in the on-demand freight transportation market.

North America ranks second in value and continues to innovate, but its growth moderates from earlier highs as platform use becomes mainstream. The United States faces acute driver shortages and evolving labor laws such as AB5, prompting both compliance spending and automation pilots. Cross-border trade with Canada and Mexico channels significant road freight through digital marketplaces, boosting the on-demand freight transportation market size. Autonomy testing in the Southwest corridor and zero-emission mandates in California illustrate how regulatory diversity shapes localized adoption curves.

Europe centers its strategy on sustainable logistics, supported by EU Green Deal targets and legislation promoting rail and low-carbon modes. The Platform Work Directive establishes a clearer playing field but increases operator costs. Sennder’s EUR 1.4 billion (USD 1.62 billion) acquisition of C.H. Robinson’s European business evidences consolidation aimed at scaling greener transport offerings. Growth varies: Germany and France, with dense industrial bases, require multimodal orchestration; the Nordics pioneer fossil-free fleets; BENELUX acts as a gateway for containerized flows. Despite a moderate CAGR, Europe’s emphasis on carbon accounting sets global standards that ripple through the on-demand freight transportation market.