freight-rates
42 posts tagged with “freight-rates”
The Multimodal Freight Market Divergence: Why Trucking, Ocean, and Air Are Moving in Opposite Directions
Q2 2026 is producing a rare freight market anomaly: ocean rates in freefall, trucking capacity tightening, and air cargo rates spiking. Here's how smart shippers are exploiting the divergence.
CXTMS InsightsApril 29, 2026 · 6 min read
The Spot-Contract Gap Is Squeezing 3PLs Again, and Shippers Should Pay Attention
As spot rates rise faster than contract rates, freight brokers and managed transportation providers are getting caught in a margin trap that smart shippers should treat as an early warning signal.
CXTMS InsightsApril 21, 2026 · 7 min read
DAT’s March Volume Jump Says Truckload Tightening Isn’t a Headline Anymore. It’s Operating Reality.
DAT’s March Truckload Volume Index showed broad gains across van, reefer, and flatbed, adding one more signal that truckload capacity is tightening faster than many shippers planned for.
CXTMS InsightsApril 19, 2026 · 6 min read
Freight Capacity Is Tight Again. The March 2026 LMI Inversion Says the Calm Is Over.
March 2026 LMI data shows transportation capacity contracting to 39.2 while pricing surges to 89.4, a sharp warning that truckload conditions are tightening fast again.
CXTMS InsightsApril 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Spot-Contract Freight Rate Gap Narrows to $0.11 Per Mile: What the U.S. Bank-DAT Q1 2026 Index Means for Shipper Procurement
The spot-contract freight rate gap has compressed 72% to just $0.11 per mile according to the U.S. Bank-DAT Q1 2026 index. Here's what the convergence means for shipper procurement strategy.
CXTMS InsightsApril 3, 2026 · 6 min read
FedEx Freight Spin-Off Countdown: What the June 2026 LTL Independence Means for Shipper Rate Strategy
FedEx Freight becomes an independent LTL carrier June 1, 2026. What the spin-off means for shipper contracts, rates, and multi-carrier strategy.
CXTMS InsightsMarch 25, 2026 · 7 min read
The Fuel Surcharge Lag Problem: Why Shippers Overpay During Diesel Spikes and Under-Recover During Drops
Fuel surcharges don't move in real time. Learn how the structural lag between DOE diesel index updates and surcharge adjustments costs shippers 3-5% annually, and how to negotiate smarter fuel cost mechanisms in 2026.
CXTMS InsightsMarch 23, 2026 · 7 min read
Flatbed and Open Deck Freight Rates Surge 35%: Why Specialized Equipment Is Q1 2026's Tightest Market
Flatbed tender rejections hit 41.93% in March 2026 — a 35.5% YoY increase — while national average flatbed rates reach $2.94/mile. Here's why open deck is the tightest equipment class in Q1 2026 and what shippers should do about it.
CXTMS InsightsMarch 22, 2026 · 7 min read
Truckload Spot Rates Hit Multi-Year Highs in March 2026: How Tariffs, Weather, and Conflict Create a Triple Freight Cost Squeeze
U.S. truckload spot rates have surged to $2.82 per mile — the highest since late 2022. Three simultaneous disruptions are squeezing freight costs: SCOTUS tariff aftermath, Winter Storm Fern, and the Iran conflict driving diesel past $5 per gallon.
CXTMS InsightsMarch 22, 2026 · 8 min read
Air-to-Ocean Modal Shift: How Falling Airfreight Rates Are Creating New Shipping Strategy Windows for Time-Sensitive SKUs
Declining airfreight rates and ocean overcapacity are opening a rare modal shift window for time-sensitive SKUs. Learn which product categories to shift and how to navigate the risk calculus in Q1 2026.
CXTMS InsightsMarch 13, 2026 · 7 min read