spot rates

Spot freight rates fluctuate daily, making it tough for carriers to maintain profitability. While load boards provide access to freight, they often lead to rate wars, inconsistent loads, and lower margins. The key to long-term success? Establishing direct relationships with shippers.

Unlike spot market freight, direct shipper contracts offer stable rates, predictable revenue, and reduced competition. Carriers who move beyond transactional load board freight by networking, cold-calling shippers, and delivering exceptional service can secure steady, high-paying freight lanes. The most profitable fleets don’t chase loads, they build partnerships that drive long-term financial stability.

Tender rejection rates have held above 7% throughout January and the spread between spot and contract continues to narrow.

Chicago and Dallas tender rejections still exceed 7%.

Tender rejection rates remain above 7%, but tender volumes and spot rates are experiencing some seasonal pressure

Tender rejection rates are remaining elevated during a period where the market would traditionally be loosening

Tender rejection rates were back on the rise this week as winter weather impacted markets across the south. Tender volumes start 2025 down y/y

Tender rejection rates are retreating from their holiday highs, but spot rates have continued to inch higher into the new year.

Tender rejection rates briefly touched 10% before retreating, which continues to show that the freight market is in transition…

Tender rejection rates have moved to a 2-year high, but spot rates have yet to see the significant increase from the holidays.

Rejection rates and spot rates are likely to see further upward movement with less than two weeks until the Christmas holiday.

The holiday impacts have yet to arrive as both tender rejection rates and spot rates are off their recent highs and volumes continue to slide.

Tender volumes and tender rejection rates moved higher this week with spot rates following suit. Thanksgiving could change the status quo.

Tender volumes and tender rejections declined over the week, but spot rates are still showing signs that peak season is going to be favorable.

Tender volumes declined over the week, but tender rejections and spot rates are showing signs that peak season is going to be favorable.

A recent FMCSA-sponsored study looking at the impacts of pay and working conditions on long-distance truck and bus drivers also calls into question claims of a persistent driver shortage.

Tender volumes declined over the week, but tender rejections and spot rates found a little positive momentum over the past week.

Tender volumes and rejection rates moved lower over the past week, while spot rates increased slightly during the week.

Tender volumes and rejection rates moved higher over the past week, but spot rates were unaffected on a national level.

Spot rates and tender rejection rates saw a slight increase to start Q4, but tender volumes fell as a result of the ILA strike.

Tender volumes, tender rejection rates and spot rate all drop in the final full week of the third quarter.

Tender volumes have started to flatten out while tender rejection rates have picked up a little steam this week.

A recent FTR Transportation Intelligence conference highlighted continued poor freight market conditions that are forcing fleets to do more with less.

Tender volumes have continued to show strength, but the market remains oversupplied. Hurricane Francine had little impact on the market

Executives at some of the nation’s top truckload carriers say it’s still too soon to know when the market will turn.

Tender rejection rates suffered the largest weekly decline in the past 6 weeks while tender volumes are being impacted by the holiday weekend

Tender volumes closed August higher, up 3.13% year over year. A slight rise in rejection rates before Labor Day was still below July peaks.

Tender volumes increased over the past week, while tender rejection rates remained unchanged. The next week will be important for the direction of the freight market in the fourth quarter.

Tender volumes started to gain a little positive momentum over the past week while tender rejection rates inched slightly lower…

The freight market is fairly stable to start August as spot rates and tender rejection rates experienced little change week over week…

Spot rates moved slightly higher in the final week of July, while rejection rates and volume levels continued to retreat from recent highs.

Spot rates have retreated off their recent high, but remain elevated compared to the rest of the year while demand and rejection rates are following seasonal trends.

The freight market is appearing to stabilize at higher levels after the Fourth of July, setting up for a better second half of 2024.

The freight market was more reactive to the Fourth of July holiday than the year prior, but capacity has been quick to return to the road.

ATRI has released a June update to its operational cost of trucking report, which saw significant increases in insurance premiums and truck and trailer payments during 2023.

Volumes, rejection rates and spot rates remain elevated, setting the stage for the summer months.

Volumes, rejection rates and spot rates remain elevated following the Memorial Day holiday, setting the stage for the summer months.

Even as carriers’ pricing power deteriorated, freight demand was consistently robust throughout February.

The early stages of this recovery are characterized by a rebalancing market, a return to normalcy after a four-year roller coaster of volatility.

On Wednesday, autonomous trucking startup TuSimple went private after voluntarily delisting from Nasdaq following two years of stock and boardroom drama. FreightWaves’ Alan Adler writes, “TuSimple was the first autonomous trucking company to demonstrate driverless operations on an open highway. One of its trucks traveled 80 miles with no human on board from Tucson, Arizona, to Phoenix in December 2021.”

The sustained imbalance between supply and demand has yet to be corrected, such that only an unprecedented tidal wave of demand could satisfy the current amount of capacity in the national freight economy.

Spot rates did eventually see a boost at the start of the new year, albeit one that was unable to meet our prior forecasts.

Tender volumes began to outpace 2020 earlier this week and are now marching toward favorable comparisons with 2021.

Volumes are leveling out at the start of December, delaying the seasonal dip that ordinarily occurs at this time of the year.

Tender volumes were outpacing 2022 levels before the holiday and came within spitting distance of 2020 — freight demand’s second-best year on record.

This week, freight markets underwent a surprising rally that saw a wave of volumes sweep across the country.

Domestic manufacturers fail to inspire optimism, since they foresee major headwinds on output in the first half of 2024.

The upcoming months are littered with major holidays during which carriers can leverage seasonal constraints on capacity for higher spot rates.

Outside of the holiday rush periods, the fundamental lack of freight demand will continue to expose the lingering overcapacity in the market.

Given the surplus of available capacity, shippers are more confident in switching to “just-in-time” freight strategies as consumer resilience remains an open question.

By next week, it is likely that actual freight flow will have finally risen on a yearly basis for the first time since May 2022.

Consumer demand during the holiday season is expected to be relatively soft, which should temper expectations for a red-hot peak season in truckload markets.

Perhaps the most pressing question for both freight markets and the broader economy is how the consumer will fare in the coming months.

Rejection rates gathered some promising momentum in the run-up to Labor Day, though these gains are slowly being lost.

After a none-too-brief break, the Pricing Power Index is resuming its regular Friday schedule.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Wednesday released parameters on data collection for a new study to determine the impact of detention time on drivers. The Information Collection Request (ICR) was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval and opened the window for public comments.

Against significant odds, the Federal Reserve might realize its once-unlikely goal of a “soft landing” — that is, taming inflation without also triggering a recession.

Freight volumes continue to trend sideways, which is a positive sign overall as the 15th of July traditionally marks a time for slowing demand in the freight market.

Demand from retail shippers is historically quiet in the period from now until August, after which retailers restock their shelves for the back-to-school season.

Demand from retail shippers is historically quiet in the period from now until August, after which retailers restock their shelves for the back-to-school season.

Maritime’s peak season — which typically ramps up in August and lasts throughout October — is expected by retailers and supply chain professionals to be weaker than it has been in previous years.

Consulting firm Kearney recently released its 34th annual Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) report, “State of Logistics 2023: The Great Reset.” A major theme of the report is the great rebalancing from the carrier-dominated market of the past two years to a shipper-focused one as freight volumes fell against a backdrop of higher truckload capacity. The report notes that total U.S. logistics costs rose 19.6% in 2022 to a record $2.3 trillion or 9.1% of U.S. gross domestic product.

Tender rejections have yet to return to mid-May’s all-time low, but their softness could persist in a trough for the next two quarters.

One last round of bad news to cap this week: China and the U.S. both posted dismal data from their respective industrial economies.

Volumes did see some growth ahead of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, though not nearly enough to bust out the champagne and sparklers.

On Wednesday, FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller sat down with Zach Strickland, FreightWaves’ head of freight market intelligence, to discuss freight market conditions and expectations.

So as not to bury the lede, this week’s lack of change in the PPI might ultimately prove to be the most exciting stability in quite some time.

Despite expectations for seasonal growth in the second quarter, the health of the American consumer has continued to become more precarious, stirring headwinds for even once-reliable sources of freight.

Volumes are just beginning to tick up at the tail end of April, but freight demand in the quarter has been mostly flat and thus grossly unseasonable.

While ocean carriers are not facing the same risks as their domestic trucking counterparts, given their consolidation and enormous war chests, ocean’s weakness in demand will continue to trickle down into truckload markets.

Despite seeing slight seasonal growth, truckload markets are showing a continued soft patch.

The gap between current levels of freight demand and those of 2019 is narrowing, casting doubt on the market’s ability to sustain growth.

The consumer will be key to resolving the present tension in freight demand’s future, but consumers continue to be predictably unpredictable.

Market conditions will likely become a bit more favorable before they get much worse.

A plan to allow 18-to-20-year-old truck drivers to haul interstate cargo got a sharp rebuttal at the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) conference by Knight-Swift President and CEO David Jackson. The plan was conceived as a way to address the driver shortage and is strongly supported by the Biden administration and the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

Strangely enough, tender volumes are abiding by seasonal trends.

On Tuesday, FreightWaves Research released survey data suggesting declining freight conditions are impacting owner-operators especially hard. An important takeaway is the potential for many more owner-operators to leave the industry if conditions do not improve.

Two container shipping experts give their take on how the hangover after the pandemic boom could play out.

Strangely enough, tender volumes are abiding by seasonal trends. The first quarter of 2022 was unusually active as shippers tried to get ahead of disruptions to capacity, which historically tightens in the spring.

With the inflation-squeezed consumer running through their discretionary budgets, freight demand is in a precarious state.

FreightWaves’ Noi Mahoney reports that, according to CargoNet data, a surge in cargo thefts near the end of 2022 led to an estimated $223 million in goods being stolen across Canada and the U.S. 

Consumers’ appetite for discretionary spending has been usurped in favor of squirreling away income into personal savings.

Volumes have continued their recovery from the winter holiday season with a surge in pent-up freight demand unleashed into the market. Naturally, since last week’s data was affected by holiday noise, the Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) faces some absurdly easy comps on a weekly basis. Even still, accepted tender volumes remain below their levels of 2021 and ’22 for the time being. 

Volumes have continued their recovery from the winter holiday season with a surge in pent-up freight demand unleashed into the market. Naturally, since last week’s data was affected by holiday noise, the Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) faces some absurdly easy comps on a weekly basis. Even still, accepted tender volumes remain below their levels of 2021 and ’22 for the time being. 

For all intents and purposes, the month of December has only three weeks of freight activity, as the final week from Christmas to New Year’s is effectively null. In years prior, freight demand has fallen throughout the month before bottoming out in that final week. So far, December looks to be following seasonal trends, which is to say that, while shippers’ activity is winding down, this movement is not alarming by itself. Rather, the gap in freight demand between 2022 and ’21 (or even ’20) is the main symptom of current ailments.

Trans-Pacific spot rates fell first. Trans-Atlantic spot rates and Asia-U.S. contract rates look like they’re next in line.

For all intents and purposes, the month of December has only three weeks of freight activity, as the final week from Christmas to New Year’s is effectively null. In years prior, freight demand has fallen throughout the month before bottoming out in that final week. So far, December looks to be following seasonal trends, which is to say that, while shippers’ activity is winding down, this movement is not alarming by itself. Rather, the gap in freight demand between 2022 and ’21 (or even ’20) is the main symptom of current ailments.

Contrary to popular opinion, December is not a peak season for freight. True, the freight that needs to be moved in this month typically has greater urgency than usual, which does put upward pressure on carrier rates. But peak truckload volumes are largely influenced by maritime imports, which historically peak between July and September.

Historically, November is the month in which maritime imports begin to move inland for their final push before the holiday shopping season. Yet such imports were lost at sea this year, failing to materialize during ocean shippers’ peak season. This one-two punch of weakened import volumes and overstocked retail inventories means that carriers are left with fewer opportunities to source freight.

Ocean carriers have been shielded by lucrative annual contracts with cargo shippers, but contract coverage is starting to crumble.

Historically, November is the month in which maritime imports begin to move inland for their final push before the holiday shopping season. Yet such imports were lost at sea this year, failing to materialize during ocean shippers’ peak season. This one-two punch of weakened import volumes and overstocked retail inventories means that carriers are left with fewer opportunities to source freight.

A recent FreightWaves Research survey found strong consensus among carriers and brokers/3PLs that spot rates are still a few months from hitting bottom, but that they’ll start to climb again in the second half of 2023.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Outbound demand in Denver is swinging up after falling to a two-year low earlier this month, and Salt Lake City has shown consistent headhaul market activity since Labor Day.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Contract rates still face downward pressure, especially for live/live loads.

Hurricane Ian boosted spot rates in the southeast over the past 10 days, but as rejection rates and volumes decline, when will spot rates on a national level take another step lower.

Atlanta is seeing consistent levels of outbound volume, retaining the majority market share with 4.1%. Diesel prices are decreasing at a faster rate than they increased over the summer.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.

Since the pandemic started, many shippers found their existing contracts unable to ensure carrier compliance. Supply and demand were especially volatile, and so spot rates, which are more sensitive to changing market conditions, handily outpaced contract rates.