US Freight Volumes and Truckload Rates Rebound in September

· Logistics · United States

US freight data for September showed a broad rebound: the Cass Freight Shipments Index grew for a second consecutive month after a 42-month downturn, and truckload linehaul rates rose 10%, suggesting factory orders and production are picking up heading into the fourth quarter. Spot pricing is also tightening, with the national average DAT spot rate gaining 17 cents per mile over two weeks, signaling more volatile transactional pricing in the fourth quarter. The SONAR Pricing Power Index slipped to 70 on softer intermodal contract rates and ocean bookings, though truckload rejections held near 13.9%. The combination points to a freight market transitioning from a long slump toward firmer, though still uneven, conditions.

Why it matters：After a prolonged freight recession, a genuine rate and volume recovery would change carrier pricing power, contract negotiations and capacity planning across North American trucking.

Key points

  • Cass Freight Shipments Index rose for a second straight month after a 42-month downturn
  • Truckload linehaul rates rose 10% in September
  • DAT national average spot rate gained 17 cents per mile over two weeks

Sources (original reporting)

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