NMFTA Pushes Density-Based LTL Classification, What Changes for Shippers
Classification Reimagined moves more commodities to full-scale density provisions as dimensioning tech makes cube and weight more measurable. NMFTA now posts…
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.
Which Private Fleets Run the Most Tractors in 2026
The top 10 private fleets by tractor count held steady this year, with minor ranking shifts. What fleet size signals about supply-chain reach and equipment…
Saia Opens Washington, Indiana Terminals, Network Hits 216 Locations
The LTL carrier added terminals in Marysville, WA, and Edinburgh, IN, this month as it pushes density into lanes outside its Southeast core.
Knight-Swift's Iron Insurance Lost $130M Before Regulators Noticed
Telematics-for-coverage program wrote policies on thousands of new entrants during 2021-2022 freight boom. Premium collection collapsed when rates turned.…
Brent Crude Climbs to $92.43 as Hormuz Doubts Keep Pressure On
International benchmark gains 1.1% on June 10. U.S. crude inches up 0.1% to $88.31. Strait reopening timeline still unclear.
Schneider Opens Wallet for Acquisitions After 18-Month Pause
Green Bay truckload carrier last bought Cowan Systems for $390 million in November 2024. Executives now say they're hunting again.
Diesel Drops 14¢ to $5.21, Third Straight Week Down
National diesel fell to $5.21/gal June 8, down 14 cents. Still $2/gal higher than last year, but the first sustained retreat since the Iran war spiked fuel in…
Diesel at $6 Makes Idling a $15,000-a-Year Problem for Long-Haul Fleets
With summer diesel hitting $6/gallon in many markets, excess idling now costs a single long-haul truck up to $15,000 annually in fuel alone, plus accelerated…
Truck Tire Prices Set to Jump as Rubber, Oil, Energy Costs Spike
Natural rubber nearing a 10-year high, crude oil doubled since December, and LNG export capacity down 17% in Qatar. Fleets face a three-front pricing squeeze.
Top 10 Tank Fleets Hold Steady, Depot Connect Jumps 100 Spots
The 2026 FleetOwner 500 shows the top five bulk haulers unchanged, while Depot Connect climbed to No. 160 overall among for-hire carriers.
Flatbed Spot Rates Hit $2.89/Mile, New Record, as Loads Drop 15.5%
Dry van climbed 9¢ to $2.32, reefer fell 10¢ to $2.64, and flatbed added 9¢ to $2.89: all while volumes dropped double digits across every segment.
June Import Volume Up 9.7% as Retailers Pull Peak Season Forward
Shippers accelerate cargo to dodge rising fuel costs and tariff risk. Early peak means more drayage loads through July, then a fall lull.