Freight Rates Hit Record High in May Despite Soft Demand
FTR's Trucking Conditions Index surged to an all-time high in May, driven by tight capacity and fuel cost recovery, not volume growth.
Markets & Rates
Spot and contract freight rates, fuel prices, capacity, lane trends, and freight demand.
Ocean Freight Rates Surge as Carrier Market Power Tightens
International container rates soar alongside domestic trucking spot rates. What market concentration means for shippers and the lanes you haul.
Dry Van Spot Rates Hit $2.14/Mile, Up 31% as Volumes Fall
Contract-to-spot spread collapses to 11 cents per mile in May as capacity tightens before demand recovers. LTL carriers hold yield despite shipment declines.
Carriers Report Improved Conditions as Freight Market Optimism Grows
Survey data shows carriers seeing better market conditions in 2026 and agreeing the downcycle is ending.
Dedicated Fleets Lock Rates as Spot Jumps 21% and Capacity Exits
Van spot rates up 21% since March 2025 while load-to-truck ratio doubles. Dedicated contract carriage offers multi-year rate protection as 200,000 drivers face…
Spot Rates Up 50% Year-Over-Year as Mid-June Slump Hits Demand
Market Demand Index climbed 97% year-over-year despite typical seasonal dip. Falling diesel prices boost fuel-adjusted rates for carriers.
Tender Rejections Hit 16.5%, Market Won't Balance Until Late 2027
Carriers are rejecting 16.5% of loads, up from 4% in June 2023. Slow capacity growth and negative authority filings mean the tight cycle will outlast past…
Intermodal Volume Up 10.9% as Truckload Rates Push Freight to Rail
Domestic intermodal jumped 10.9% in the week ending June 13 as rising truckload rates and trans-Pacific frontloading drive the biggest rail-truck modal shift…
LA Port Forecasts 9.3M TEUs, Down 7%, as China Share Drops to 40%
Port of Los Angeles approved a $3.4 billion budget for fiscal 2026-2027 while projecting container volumes will fall 7% to 9.3 million TEUs as China's share of…
Dry Van Spot Rates Drop 4¢ While Reefer Falls 11¢ in Post-Holiday Week
Flatbed held gains at $2.93/mile as dry van and reefer gave back ground despite freight volumes climbing across all three segments.
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.