Freight Market Trends

National truckload rates as of October 15, 2026

• Dry van: $3.09/mi all-in including fuel ($2.26 linehaul + $0.83 fuel surcharge), DAT week ending Oct 10.
• Reefer: $3.66/mi all-in including fuel ($2.75 linehaul + $0.91 fuel surcharge), DAT week ending Oct 10.
• Flatbed: $3.65/mi all-in including fuel ($2.65 linehaul + $1.00 fuel surcharge), DAT week ending Oct 10.
• FreightFA live-quote index, dry van: $3.56/mi all-in, the average of today's bookable shipper quotes on 25 benchmark lanes. It runs above DAT because it is the shipper side of the market.
• Diesel: $6.20/gal, EIA U.S. average retail, week of Oct 5.

These figures were current when this page was published. DAT and EIA publish weekly and FreightFA checks them daily; the live numbers are at https://freightfa.com/market-trends.

Truckload outlook as of October 15, 2026

• Dry van, 7-day average: $3.08 per mile (as of 2026-10-15). Outlook for the next week: steady (-0.3%), $2.99 to $3.15 per mile, most likely $3.08.
• Reefer, 7-day average: $3.63 per mile (as of 2026-10-15). Outlook for the next week: steady (-0.5%), $3.53 to $3.70 per mile, most likely $3.62.
• Flatbed, 7-day average: $3.65 per mile (as of 2026-10-15). Outlook for the next week: steady (0.0%), $3.59 to $3.72 per mile, most likely $3.65.
• Capacity, Dry Van: balanced against its recent norm.
• Capacity, Reefer: balanced against its recent norm.
• Capacity, Flatbed: balanced against its recent norm.

From FreightFA's daily brief as it stood when this page was published. The live brief, rebuilt several times a day, is at https://mcp.freightfa.com/brief.

Rail, ocean, air, and barge as of October 15, 2026

• Rail, Agricultural freight: Class I railroads' average revenue per carload is +5.9% versus a year earlier (Q2 2026, 6 railroads, 13 figures from their SEC filings, fuel surcharges included).
• Rail, Industrial freight: Class I railroads' average revenue per carload is +6.5% versus a year earlier (Q2 2026, 6 railroads, 37 figures from their SEC filings, fuel surcharges included).
• Ocean, Drewry World Container Index: $2,091 per 40ft container (as of 2026-10-15). No forecast: a recent source reading broke away from the rest and came back, so the series is not sound enough to forecast from.
• Ocean, Baltic Dry Index: 2,667 points (as of 2026-10-15). Outlook for the next reading: steady (-3.1%), 2,464 to 2,664 points, most likely 2,584.
• Air, TAC global air freight rate: not published today. Held back: this series has not passed its backtest.
• Air, IATA jet fuel price: $190.18 per barrel (as of 2026-10-15). Outlook for the next reading: steady (+0.6%), $188.28 to $192.83 per barrel, most likely $191.39.
• Barge, Twin Cities: 838% of tariff (as of 2026-09-29). Outlook for the next reading: steady (-1.0%), 777 to 873% of tariff, most likely 830.
• Barge, Mid-Mississippi: 846% of tariff (as of 2026-09-29). Outlook for the next reading: falling (-5.4%), 727 to 888% of tariff, most likely 801.
• Barge, Lower Illinois: 811% of tariff (as of 2026-09-29). Outlook for the next reading: steady (-2.6%), 716 to 874% of tariff, most likely 790.
• Barge, St. Louis: 759% of tariff (as of 2026-09-29). Outlook for the next reading: steady (-3.4%), 645 to 825% of tariff, most likely 733.
• Barge, Cincinnati: 925% of tariff (as of 2026-09-29). Outlook for the next reading: steady (+0.7%), 811 to 1,067% of tariff, most likely 931.
• Barge, Lower Ohio: 925% of tariff (as of 2026-09-29). Outlook for the next reading: steady (+0.7%), 811 to 1,067% of tariff, most likely 931.
• Barge, Cairo-Memphis: 721% of tariff (as of 2026-09-29). Outlook for the next reading: falling (-8.3%), 554 to 782% of tariff, most likely 662.

A forecast is shown only when it has passed a backtest and its source readings are consistent; a figure that fails is named with the reason instead of being shown.

From FreightFA's daily brief as it stood when this page was published. The live brief, rebuilt several times a day, is at https://mcp.freightfa.com/brief.

What's on the page

• Truck: national dry van, reefer, and flatbed spot rates (all-in including fuel) and a market outlook.
• Truck capacity: whether each equipment type is tight, balanced, or loose against its recent norm.
• Rail: change in Class I railroads' average revenue per carload versus a year earlier, from their SEC filings, fuel surcharges included.
• Ocean, air, and barge rate series, each with its source on the page.