Supply Chain Economy: Why Consumer Sentiment is CRASHING Despite Growth

Despite overall economic expansion, consumer sentiment is deteriorating sharply, and the disconnect is showing up in freight markets, according to Dr. Jason Miller. He points to a narrow concentration of freight growth—about 1.5% above year-ago levels—largely tied to data center-related sectors such as machinery, fabricated metals, and steel. Miller says the next six to nine months of data center construction are already “baked in,” but a potential slowdown later could collide with weakness in single-family housing. He cites warning signs including Oracle declaring force majeure on a New Mexico project and expected mandatory compute payments for OpenAI and Anthropic. On capacity, he calls current conditions a “Goldilocks zone,” with tender rejection around 14% and multiple supply exits supported by tighter enforcement and a May Supreme Court ruling in Montgomery v. Carbide.