Freight Market Intelligence
Freight markets change lane by lane, commodity by commodity, and season by season. This section tracks the signals that matter: shipment volumes, spot and contract rates, tender rejection activity, truckload capacity, fuel, imports, manufacturing, inventory, and modal shifts.
Our coverage connects market data to practical decisions for shippers, carriers, and freight brokers. Expect concise explanations of what changed, why it matters, and what decision-makers should watch next.
Coverage Areas
Truckload volumes and capacity
Spot and contract pricing
Dry van, refrigerated, and specialized freight
Imports, ports, manufacturing, and retail demand
Fuel and carrier operating economics
Regional and commodity-level freight trends
Latest Freight Market Analysis
Current reporting on demand, rates, capacity, fuel, imports and the operating signals shaping shipper and carrier decisions.
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Diesel Jumped 36.8 Cents in One Week as Truck Freight Prices Rose 2.0%—What Shippers Should Audit Before Q4 Bids
Weekly pump prices and monthly freight-price data now point in the same direction—but they measure different costs. Shippers should separate fuel, linehaul and accessorials…
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September 2026 Freight Outlook: A Cost Shock Without a Volume Boom
September’s freight market pairs expanding goods demand with elevated fuel and transportation costs. Explore verified truck, ocean, rail and air indicators, FIR scenarios, and…
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Mundra’s 1,500-Trucker Stoppage Disrupts Container Flows—What Shippers Should Do Now
A stoppage involving roughly 1,500 container transporters is disrupting empty returns and factory stuffing at India’s Mundra Port. FIR separates confirmed restrictions from estimates…
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Black Sea Disruption Forces 500,000-Ton Wheat Pivot—Now the Shock Is Reaching Container Freight
Black Sea attacks are forcing Asian wheat buyers toward Australia and Argentina, raising delivered costs and pushing some urgent grain into containers.
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Shanghai and Ningbo Reopened—But 10-Day Queues Are Tightening Transpacific Capacity
Shanghai and Ningbo are open, but berth delays now reach 10–11 days as dense yards, vessel bunching and port omissions threaten U.S.-bound September inventory.
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Fuel Surcharges Are Outrunning Fuel Costs—What Shippers Should Audit Across Rail, Parcel and Ocean
Union Pacific’s $91.1 million second-quarter fuel-surcharge surplus and widening parcel and ocean surcharge gaps give shippers a concrete reason to audit benchmarks, lags and…