PCE Inflation Hits 3.5%, Highest in Three Years on Fuel Spike
March year-over-year inflation jumped to 3.5 percent as diesel and gasoline prices climbed, tightening margins for owner-operators and small fleets already…
Markets & Rates
Spot and contract freight rates, fuel prices, capacity, lane trends, and freight demand.
Used Truck Sales Up 10% in March, Still Miss Seasonal Forecast
ACT Research reports 24,900 units sold, a year-over-year gain but below the seasonal norm for spring buying.
Oil Slides to $108.51 but Diesel Still Pinches Small Fleets
Brent crude fell $1.93 overnight, a drop that barely registers against fuel costs running 40% above pre-pandemic norms.
Spot Rates Hit $2.66 Flatbed, $2.35 Reefer, 12-Year High
Flatbed climbs for the 17th straight week while dry van and reefer hold steady, all three equipment types running 23–37% above year-ago levels.
Oil Hits Highest Price Since June 2022 as Hormuz Conflict Drags On
Crude surge driven by U.S.-Iran standoff and choked Strait of Hormuz flows: no end date in sight for fuel cost relief.
Paccar Sees Class 8 Sales and Production Jumping in Q2 2026
North American truck output set to accelerate significantly next quarter, Paccar executives say: signaling OEMs expect demand to hold.
Diesel Drops While Gas Climbs: National Average Diesel Down to $4.12
EIA reports diesel at $4.123 per gallon, 8 cents below last week, while AAA pegs retail diesel $1.11 higher at $5.461: a $1.93 year-over-year jump that hits…
Oil Jumps 3%: Brent at $107.61, WTI at $103.32
Benchmark crude prices posted sharp single-day gains April 29, pushing Brent above $107 and WTI above $103: the highest settlement in three weeks.
Brent Crude Holds Above $100 for Eighth Straight Week on Iran Conflict
International benchmark rose 1.8% to $103.76 April 23: diesel and fuel surcharges track the move.
Intermodal Volume Up 2.2% as Grain and Petroleum Lead Rail Gains
Week ending April 18 pushed year-to-date rail traffic ahead of 2025 levels, with grain up 22.9% and petroleum up 15.5% as Iran conflict whipsaws global prices.
US West Coast Diesel Exports to Australia: What Iran Fuel Shortage Means for Domestic Prices
Rare diesel cargoes are moving from the US West Coast to Australia as the Iran conflict tightens global fuel supply, a trade route shift that could pressure…
CSX Cuts Chicago Barr Yard Operations, Shifts Switching to Belt Railway
CSX dropped daily car inventory at Barr Yard from 1,400–1,800 to 228 as of last week, routing traffic through BRC and IHB to cut transit times.