U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows to $73.3B as Imports Drop 1.8% in June
The gap shrank 5.6% from May as computer and semiconductor imports slowed. Capital goods imports fell for the first time since September.
Markets & Rates
Spot and contract freight rates, fuel prices, capacity, lane trends, and freight demand.
LTL Tonnage Up 5% in July as Manufacturing Hits Four-Year High
Four major LTL carriers beat seasonal volume trends by 250 to 400 basis points in July. Manufacturing PMI at 55.6, highest since May 2022, signals more…
Spot Rates Run 40% to 70% Above Contract on Infrequent Lanes
RXO exec says contract awards on low-frequency routes carry almost no chance of being honored when capacity is tight. Shippers who proactively raised rates…
Schneider Locks Double-Digit Contract Rate Hikes as Spot Nears 2021 Peak
One-way fleet captured double-digit contract increases in Q2. June spot market resembled March 2021. Schneider raised full-year EPS guidance 18%.
Spot Rates Hold at $3.51/Mile as Diesel Falls, Capacity, Not Fuel, Drives Pricing
Knight-Swift truckload operating income up 69% year over year. Tender rejections at 14.36%, flatbed at 23%. Carriers say regulatory pressure and driver…
Tender Lead Times Hit 3.74 Days, Up Six Years Running
Shippers are booking trucks further in advance even when capacity is loose. That's changing how freight moves and who gets it.
Freight Rates Hold Near Record as Capacity Tightens to 43-Month High
ACT Research's June index shows rates at 70.2, down from May's record but still among the strongest in 17 years, while capacity climbs to 55.0 and driver…
Why Capacity Won't Flood Back This Time
Litigation, regulation, and insurance costs are blocking the new-carrier surge that ended past rate cycles, says Triumph Financial CEO Aaron Graft.
Freight Tonnage Flat in May as Capacity Crunch Lifts Rates
Import volumes hit record highs while domestic freight demand barely budged. Tight capacity, not tonnage growth, is driving the rate rally.
Tire Costs Jump 6.4%, Driver Pay Tops $1 Per Mile for First Time
Operating costs climbed through 2025 as tariffs hit tires and driver compensation crossed the dollar mark, squeezing margins in the third year of soft freight.
Operating Costs Rose 4.2% in 2025, Outpacing Inflation by 1.5 Points
ATRI data shows trucking costs climbed faster than consumer prices for the second straight year, with driver benefits up 6.6% while wages lagged at 2.5%.
Truckload Rates Hit 16% Above Baseline, LTL Up 76.5% in Q2 2026
Contract rates climb as 48,000 non-compliant drivers exit, small carriers park trucks over fuel costs, and routing guides collapse.