DOT Enforcement Tightens Capacity as Spot Rates Climb in Q1
First-quarter enforcement activity pulled carriers off the road, shrinking available capacity and lifting spot rates: a supply-driven recovery that changes the…
Tess Crawford
Markets, Rates, Fuel & Carrier Business
Tess Crawford tracks the money flowing through trucking, spot and contract rates, diesel and crude markets, fuel surcharges, lane capacity, freight demand, LTL tonnage and yield, plus the carrier-business side: bankruptcies, M&A, layoffs, and insurance pricing. She writes for the dispatcher checking the load board between calls and the small-fleet owner reading the P&L over coffee.
Spot and Contract Rates Edge Higher in Q1 as Capacity Tightens
Both spot and contract rates moved up during the first quarter while carriers focused on internal efficiency and operational improvements.
Bid Season Pricing Gains Signal Shift After Three-Quarter Downturn
Carriers report better pricing power in Q1 2026 contract negotiations as capacity exits and spot rates firm: the first sustained leverage shift since mid-2023.
Brent Crude Dips to $105.44 as Iran War Drags On With No End in Sight
Oil fell 19 cents May 14 after a week of whipsaw moves: diesel still sits near $4.48, and small fleets are watching every penny.
Iran War Drives Base Oil Shortage, Oil Changes About to Cost More
Industrial lubricants used to make motor oil are in short supply with no relief in sight, pushing maintenance costs higher for fleets already squeezed by tight…
Hormuz Oil Flows Down 6 Million Barrels a Day, Diesel Watch Begins
Strait of Hormuz crude and fuel flows fell nearly 30% in Q1, the Energy Information Administration reports. Small fleets face diesel price exposure if the drop…
Spot Rates Up 20%, But It's Tariff Panic, Not Recovery
National dry van spot rates are up more than 20% year over year as of mid-May, driven by importers front-loading inventory ahead of tariff escalation. The…
FedEx Freight Spinoff Closes June 1, What the Split Means for LTL Rates
FedEx board approves separation of nation's largest LTL carrier. Shareholders get one FDXF share per two FDX shares held as of May 16. FedEx retains 19.9%…
Diesel Benchmark Drops 0.1¢, Futures Signal Tightening Ahead
DOE retail diesel fell the smallest possible increment this week to $5.639/gal, while futures markets show signs the recent slide may be reversing.
House Speaker Calls Federal Gas Tax Suspension 'Intriguing'
Mike Johnson stopped short of a timeline, but the idea is on the table as diesel holds at $4.48 and crude climbs past $104.
BMO Transportation Finance Sold to Stonepeak, One of Trucking's Largest Lenders Changes Hands
Stonepeak acquires BMO's transportation lending unit in a deal that reshapes credit access for carriers. BMO retains a minority stake.
Diesel Jumps 12.6% in One Month, April Fuel Spike Hits Settlements
Wholesale diesel climbed 12.6% from March to April and 22.7% year-over-year as energy prices surged 7.8% in a single month.