While it could take several quarters, if not years, for permanent and needle-moving benefits to materialize, the silver lining of the trade war is that federal and provincial governments are energized to initiate long-overdue examinations of inhibitors to higher productivity and more durable macro growth. Any combination of expanding trade connections with Mexico, Asia, and the EU; fiscal support for tariff-targeted industries; lower interest rates and taxes; increased federal spending on infrastructure, housing, and the military; relaxation of regulations and reduced bureaucracy; accelerated development of natural resources; and relaxed barriers to cross‑province trade is a healthy long-term economic setup.

In the short run, however, the Canadian trucking industry will remain in a fragile state, with tariffs and general uncertainty prolonging subdued domestic and cross‑border freight volumes and rates that will keep fleet fundamentals under pressure.