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.
#Spot Rates
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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.
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…
Spot Rates Jump 4¢ Dry Van, 10¢ Reefer as All Three Segments Climb
Dry van spot rates rose 4¢ last week to $2.00/mile, reefer climbed 10¢, and flatbed added 8¢: all three segments now running 25–38% above year-ago levels.
Diesel Hit Record Seasonal Levels Mid-April as War Costs Squeeze Margins
Box manufacturers struggle to pass transportation cost spikes downstream, a signal that freight buyers are pushing back on fuel surcharges even as diesel…
RXO Posts Q1 Turnaround as Carrier Exits Tighten Spot Market
The 3PL reported improved margins as capacity leaves the market, but demand remains flat: a supply-driven recovery that changes how fleets price spot loads.
Contract Rates Up 8% Since Fall as Capacity Stays Tight Through Mid-Year
Long-term contract rates climbed roughly 8% from last fall, with spot and contract pricing both rising as tender rejection rates stay elevated and shippers…
RXO Posts $6M Q1 EBITDA, Forecasts Up to $37M in Q2 as Rates Recover
The 3PL's gross margin fell 180 basis points as spot rates climbed against lower contract numbers, but the company expects sequential truckload profit-per-load…
Uber Freight Posts First Year-Over-Year Revenue Gain in Six Quarters
Digital broker's Q1 2026 revenue climbed to $1.34 billion, up $47 million from a year earlier, though operating losses continued at $30 million.
Cummins Lifts 2026 Outlook as Truck Orders and Spot Rates Climb in Q1
Engine maker's raised forecast signals carrier demand is firming: what improving order activity means for fleet expansion and rate momentum.
Capacity Plummets 10.9 Points in April, Tightest Freight Market in a Decade
Transportation capacity hit 28.4 on the Logistics Managers' Index, the second-fastest decline on record, while spot prices jumped 5.6 points to 95, the widest…