Shippers are running out of room to maneuver as trucking capacity tightens, freight rates hold near record levels, and new driver rules choke off supply.
For any owner-operator who has ever been stranded on the shoulder of an interstate at 5 miles per hour because a sensor decided the diesel exhaust fluid system had a problem, the announcement PACCAR made on July 6, 2026 will read like overdue relief. The company is rolling out updated software for trucks equipped with […]
The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index Rates Edition shows dry van spot rates surged 31% year-over-year in May 2026 as capacity tightening drives costs higher.
Recent acquisitions by AmeriLux Transportation, ANDY Corp. and Imperative Logistics highlight continued consolidation across North America’s logistics sector.
Spot rates rose 23.3% and contract rates 5% from March 2025 to February 2026 even as volumes fell sharply. The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index shows the contract premium compressed to $0.11 per mile.
The Diesel Truck Liberation Act, introduced by Rep. Mike Collins, aims to lower equipment costs for truckers.
Spot and contract rates climb amid tighter capacity and stricter regulatory pressures on carriers
Late 2025 data shows subtle shifts in spot, contract rates amid carrier exits
U.S. Bank report shows shippers paid more to move less amid tariffs and economic slowdown, with regional divides deepening.
Recent data released by U.S. Bank showed that despite trade- and economic-related uncertainty, the national truck freight market grew in the second quarter of 2025
The for-hire trucking industry faced its fourth consecutive month of declining volumes in June, according to ACT Research’s For-Hire Trucking Index.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told lawmakers that AI could help speed infrastructure grant processing as DOT readies its layoff plan.
Maersk executive Stephen Carmel has replaced Brent Sadler as the Trump administration’s nominee to oversee the U.S. domestic shipping industry.
The Trump administration is looking into the effect of what it deems predatory trade practices on the competitiveness of the U.S. truck industry.
The Cass Freight Index showed an increase in truckload linehaul rates for the first time since December 2022.
US freight market continued to face headwinds in Q4 2024 Data released Tuesday by freight audit and payment provider U.S. Bank showed a trucking industry continuing to battle a variety of headwinds. According to the latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, shipment volumes fell 4.7% from the previous quarter, marking the 10th consecutive quarterly decline. […]
Q4 2024 data released by freight audit and payment provider U.S. Bank showed a trucking industry continuing to battle cyclical and structural headwinds.
Tender rejection rates have held above 7% throughout January and the spread between spot and contract continues to narrow.
Tender rejection rates remain above 7%, but tender volumes and spot rates are experiencing some seasonal pressure
Tender rejection rates are remaining elevated during a period where the market would traditionally be loosening
Tender rejection rates were back on the rise this week as winter weather impacted markets across the south. Tender volumes start 2025 down y/y
Tender rejection rates are retreating from their holiday highs, but spot rates have continued to inch higher into the new year.
Deregulatory priorities within the Trump administration could throw a wrench in federal agencies’ rulemaking pipeline.
Tender rejection rates briefly touched 10% before retreating, which continues to show that the freight market is in transition…
Tender rejection rates have moved to a 2-year high, but spot rates have yet to see the significant increase from the holidays.
Rejection rates and spot rates are likely to see further upward movement with less than two weeks until the Christmas holiday.
During the State of Freight webinar for December, Craig Fuller and Zach Strickland discuss how a market shift could impact carriers, brokers and shippers in 2025.
The holiday impacts have yet to arrive as both tender rejection rates and spot rates are off their recent highs and volumes continue to slide.
Tender volumes and tender rejection rates moved higher this week with spot rates following suit. Thanksgiving could change the status quo.
Tender volumes and tender rejections declined over the week, but spot rates are still showing signs that peak season is going to be favorable.
Tender volumes declined over the week, but tender rejections and spot rates are showing signs that peak season is going to be favorable.
Schneider National is hopeful for a better seasonal inflection in the fourth quarter, noting some areas of the truckload market are seeing significant capacity exits.
Tender volumes declined over the week, but tender rejections and spot rates found a little positive momentum over the past week.
Tender volumes and rejection rates moved lower over the past week, while spot rates increased slightly during the week.
Tender volumes and rejection rates moved higher over the past week, but spot rates were unaffected on a national level.
Spot rates and tender rejection rates saw a slight increase to start Q4, but tender volumes fell as a result of the ILA strike.
Tender volumes, tender rejection rates and spot rate all drop in the final full week of the third quarter.
Tender volumes have started to flatten out while tender rejection rates have picked up a little steam this week.
Tender volumes have continued to show strength, but the market remains oversupplied. Hurricane Francine had little impact on the market
Tender rejection rates suffered the largest weekly decline in the past 6 weeks while tender volumes are being impacted by the holiday weekend
Tender volumes closed August higher, up 3.13% year over year. A slight rise in rejection rates before Labor Day was still below July peaks.
FreightWaves’ State of Freight webinar suggests U.S. consumers could help boost the freight marketplace during the holidays.
Tender volumes increased over the past week, while tender rejection rates remained unchanged. The next week will be important for the direction of the freight market in the fourth quarter.
Tender volumes started to gain a little positive momentum over the past week while tender rejection rates inched slightly lower…
The freight market is fairly stable to start August as spot rates and tender rejection rates experienced little change week over week…
Spot rates moved slightly higher in the final week of July, while rejection rates and volume levels continued to retreat from recent highs.
Before the U.S. Marine Corps veteran, lawyer and author of Hillbilly Elegy was a contender for VP, Vance took the national spotlight as one of three Senate Republicans and three Senate Democrats to introduce The Railway Safety Act of 2023.
Spot rates have retreated off their recent high, but remain elevated compared to the rest of the year while demand and rejection rates are following seasonal trends.
Knight-Swift Transportation said the trough of the freight cycle has likely passed and that it is now focused on growing its less-than-truckload business.
The freight market is appearing to stabilize at higher levels after the Fourth of July, setting up for a better second half of 2024.
FreightWaves’ State of Freight webinar suggests we’ll see more trucking companies leave the market in 2024, creating more equilibrium between shippers and carriers.
The freight market was more reactive to the Fourth of July holiday than the year prior, but capacity has been quick to return to the road.
Volumes, rejection rates and spot rates remain elevated, setting the stage for the summer months.
Volumes, rejection rates and spot rates remain elevated following the Memorial Day holiday, setting the stage for the summer months.
FreightWaves’ State of Freight webinar for March highlighted signals that the commercial transportation market is moving in a positive direction.
Even as carriers’ pricing power deteriorated, freight demand was consistently robust throughout February.
Regulators have imposed new billing standards on ocean carriers that shippers consider a “major step” toward eliminating abuse.
The early stages of this recovery are characterized by a rebalancing market, a return to normalcy after a four-year roller coaster of volatility.
$2 billion in fines and expenses from emissions-rigging slammed Cummins’ Q4 profit in a year of record revenues and cash generation.
The sustained imbalance between supply and demand has yet to be corrected, such that only an unprecedented tidal wave of demand could satisfy the current amount of capacity in the national freight economy.
Spot rates did eventually see a boost at the start of the new year, albeit one that was unable to meet our prior forecasts.
Tender volumes began to outpace 2020 earlier this week and are now marching toward favorable comparisons with 2021.
FreightWaves’ December State of Freight webinar looked at the disconnect between healthy volumes and low rejection rates.
Volumes are leveling out at the start of December, delaying the seasonal dip that ordinarily occurs at this time of the year.
Tender volumes were outpacing 2022 levels before the holiday and came within spitting distance of 2020 — freight demand’s second-best year on record.
This week, freight markets underwent a surprising rally that saw a wave of volumes sweep across the country.
Domestic manufacturers fail to inspire optimism, since they foresee major headwinds on output in the first half of 2024.
The upcoming months are littered with major holidays during which carriers can leverage seasonal constraints on capacity for higher spot rates.
Outside of the holiday rush periods, the fundamental lack of freight demand will continue to expose the lingering overcapacity in the market.
Given the surplus of available capacity, shippers are more confident in switching to “just-in-time” freight strategies as consumer resilience remains an open question.
By next week, it is likely that actual freight flow will have finally risen on a yearly basis for the first time since May 2022.
Consumer demand during the holiday season is expected to be relatively soft, which should temper expectations for a red-hot peak season in truckload markets.
Monday data from Cass Information Systems showed slight improvement from July to August but the comparisons to 2022 worsened.
Perhaps the most pressing question for both freight markets and the broader economy is how the consumer will fare in the coming months.
Small fleets can get a voucher twice the standard $120,000 when purchasing an electric truck. And they don’t even have to purchase it.
Rejection rates gathered some promising momentum in the run-up to Labor Day, though these gains are slowly being lost.
In today’s fast-paced supply chain environment, it is important to know and understand the trends most likely to shape the future.
After a none-too-brief break, the Pricing Power Index is resuming its regular Friday schedule.
DOT and MarAd are moving on a new database aimed at preventing vessel collisions.
Against significant odds, the Federal Reserve might realize its once-unlikely goal of a “soft landing” — that is, taming inflation without also triggering a recession.
Freight volumes continue to trend sideways, which is a positive sign overall as the 15th of July traditionally marks a time for slowing demand in the freight market.
Democrats said they respect workers’ rights to strike in the event negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS fail.
Demand from retail shippers is historically quiet in the period from now until August, after which retailers restock their shelves for the back-to-school season.
Demand from retail shippers is historically quiet in the period from now until August, after which retailers restock their shelves for the back-to-school season.
Maritime’s peak season — which typically ramps up in August and lasts throughout October — is expected by retailers and supply chain professionals to be weaker than it has been in previous years.
To help you navigate the constant and transformative changes moving today’s supply chain, DHL Supply Chain’s Transportation Quarterly Report highlights what to watch each quarter.
Tender rejections have yet to return to mid-May’s all-time low, but their softness could persist in a trough for the next two quarters.
The effects of marijuana impairment on truck driving is not fully understood due in part to limited research, according to a new ATRI report.
One last round of bad news to cap this week: China and the U.S. both posted dismal data from their respective industrial economies.
There may be plenty of hand-wringing about California’s Clean Fleets rule, but fleets are advised to start getting ready for it.
Volumes did see some growth ahead of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, though not nearly enough to bust out the champagne and sparklers.
So as not to bury the lede, this week’s lack of change in the PPI might ultimately prove to be the most exciting stability in quite some time.
Cuts at C.H. Robinson impact 2% of its global workforce.
Despite expectations for seasonal growth in the second quarter, the health of the American consumer has continued to become more precarious, stirring headwinds for even once-reliable sources of freight.
Volumes are just beginning to tick up at the tail end of April, but freight demand in the quarter has been mostly flat and thus grossly unseasonable.
The Q2 Freight Sentiment Indexes show carriers lower, brokers higher and shippers about the same despite ample pricing power.
While ocean carriers are not facing the same risks as their domestic trucking counterparts, given their consolidation and enormous war chests, ocean’s weakness in demand will continue to trickle down into truckload markets.
Despite seeing slight seasonal growth, truckload markets are showing a continued soft patch.
The gap between current levels of freight demand and those of 2019 is narrowing, casting doubt on the market’s ability to sustain growth.
C.H. Robinson is not rushing to select Jim Barber as CEO, leading some to wonder if he is the perfect fit for the demanding job.
