Cargo thieves take $31.8M over Labor Day as diesel holds a record
Reefer produce rates are the week's bright spot at $4.21 a mile, while thieves increasingly work through breached freight accounts rather than the roadside.
Freight
NHTSA probes Tesla's Cybercab as Driver Appreciation Week brings an OOIDA deal
Also in the week's news: FMCSA opens four seizure-exemption cases to public comment, New York and New Jersey put $45 million behind zero-emission drayage, and reefer spot rates hold their premium.
Reefer holds at $4.21 a mile as Tesla launches robotaxis and diesel sets a record
The week's news: a federal probe into Tesla's robotaxi launch, $45M for electric drayage at the NY-NJ ports, and a planned order on direct beef sales.
Laredo adds crossing hours as a visa protest and Sept. 11 closures hit the border
Border news dominates the week, diesel sits near records at $5.652 a gallon, and reefer keeps firming to $4.21 a mile.
Factory and construction hiring points to freight demand as diesel holds a record
This roundup: a jobs report that favors truckload, a border visa fight at Laredo, OOIDA's Appreciation Week offer, and a new FMCSA comment window.
Border crossings close Friday for 9/11 as reefer rates keep firming
Diesel holds at $5.652 a gallon while produce reefer firms to $4.21 a mile, and cross-border drivers face Friday closures for the 9/11 anniversary.
Diesel holds above $5.65 as a CDL data breach and rail merger fight lead the week
Our national pump average was $5.652 for the week to 24 August; trade press reported a fresh record days later, with identity, appreciation-week and intermodal news to track.
Diesel nears records, but jobs are up and the pump map runs $1.69 wide
Fuel set fresh records this week, but hiring, a firm reefer rate and a widening regional pump gap are the parts a carrier can actually work with.
Diesel sets another record, but reefer is where the month pays
Fuel hit a fresh high in every region this week; the useful story is which trailer and which lane still clear it.
LTL carriers report an August pickup after the summer's steepest price drop
The freshest freight signal this week is in less-than-truckload: three big carriers posted August gains just as our own index shows LTL had fallen furthest.
Diesel jumps 3.6% — but reefer rates and a $1.69 pump gap are the openings
Fuel rose in every region this week; the useful moves are choosing where to buy it and which trailer to pull.
Reefer pays up while the box rates fade
Refrigerated freight is gaining as dry van and LTL cool, and the country's widest fuel gap is worth routing around.
Reefer opens a gap on dry van — $4.21 a mile and still climbing
Refrigerated rates are rising while the box and flatbed soften and diesel jumped everywhere — here is where the openings are.
Labor Day tightens capacity, and the reefer premium is where it pays
Freight pulled tight over the holiday, and the week's news split into where that helps you and where fuel still bites.
Diesel climbs in every region, but the pump gap is now $1.69 a gallon
Energy drove the week: fuel rose everywhere while crude neared triple digits, yet the regional spread and rising reefer rates both leave room to work.
Diesel is up everywhere -- where you fill it swings the bill $250 a tank
Fuel climbed in every region while dry van and LTL rates eased, but reefer held and the regional spread is wide enough to route around.
Reefer holds its premium as diesel hits five-year highs
Fuel is climbing in every region, but reefer rates and a moving used-truck market give carriers something to work with.
Oil nears $100 and it's in the pump — but the diesel map is $1.56 wide
Energy costs are climbing again; the fuel map, a cross-border tax break and a safety blitz are what to do about it this week.
Highway programs extended to Dec. 11 as used-truck sales climb 10.6%
Congress pushed back a Sept. 30 deadline, Canada held its fuel-tax break into 2027, and reefer stayed the firm corner of the market at $4.21 a mile.
Diesel tops $5.65 as energy prices climb and FMCSA revives broker rule
The week for owner-operators: fuel up 3.6%, the broker-transparency proposal back from the dead, and a stopgap that keeps the highway program funded past September 30.
Reefer firms and spot rates steady as diesel keeps climbing
USDA's produce reefer average rose again and the summer spot slump looks to be fading, even as pump diesel runs more than 50% above a year ago and Washington moves to rewrite fuel-economy rules.
Reefer still pays while diesel, oil and fees all climb
The cost side of the week all ran one way, but the refrigerated market gave carriers with the right trailer a reason to run.
Diesel runs $1.69 a gallon cheaper in the Lower Atlantic than California
On a 150-gallon fill that spread is about $254, and both regions rose again in the week to 24 August.
Diesel climbs to $5.454 as an oil strike and a quiet peak pressure margins
Reefer produce is the week's bright spot, firming to $4.21 a mile, while the freight surge that usually offsets high fuel has not shown up.
Reefer pays up while dry van softens, and the diesel map splits by a dollar
Refrigerated rates and the regional fuel spread both reward carriers who can pick their freight and their route this week, while the feds keep pulling fraudulent CDLs.
Fraudulent pickups drive a cargo-theft wave as brokers tighten carrier vetting
Two six-figure loads were stolen this month with faked paperwork, and a $604 million verdict is pushing brokers to vet the carriers they hire far harder.
Feds pull 110 CDL schools and arrest 95 as a fraud crackdown leads the week
UCR registration fees rise 20%, three states move road money, and the peak-season freight surge still has not shown up.
Diesel sits at $5.454 as an oil spike and new tariffs top the week's news
The pump map is still $1.58 wide from California to the lower Atlantic, and reefer produce rates held at $4.21 a mile.
Diesel fell to $5.599 a gallon
The national average fell 5.3 cents in the week to 31 August 2026.
Mississippi to rebuild 30-plus bridges as a weight-limit bill gains ground
The freshest freight news since the last roundup runs through statehouses and the Capitol, not the rate sheet.
Reefer firms while dry van, flatbed and LTL indices all slipped in July
Refrigerated rates rose 1.8% to $4.21 a mile even as every producer price index for trucking fell; diesel held its climb at a $5.454 national average.
Laredo bridge closes for 9/11 ceremony as Detroit opens its 2027 order book
This week's freight news runs from the Texas border to a Mississippi corridor rebuild, with equipment timing and borrowing costs both in play.
Freight indices slipped again in July, but every segment sits above a year ago
Diesel's near-47% annual jump is the line eating those gains, while reefer and household-goods rates lead the year higher.
Reefer rates climb as dry van cools, and the diesel map runs $1.58 wide
Fuel rose again, but the week's real signal for carriers is where the openings are — refrigerated freight paying up, dry van easing, and a diesel spread worth routing around.
LTL led July's freight retreat, down 4.6%, while truckload held near flat
The all-segment index fell 1.9%, but the weakness was concentrated in less-than-truckload; dry van and flatbed slipped about a point, and reefer firmed to $4.21 a mile.
Short reefer hauls paid $14 a mile last week, long ones $2 -- why per-mile misleads
Rate per mile is a poor way to compare loads of different lengths -- total pay and pay per day are what fill the tank.
Reefer firms while dry freight cools, and ELD access is back
Enforcement and platform disputes dominated the week, but the cold trailer kept paying.
Reefer firms to $4.21 a mile as Delmarva produce lanes lead again
The week's top per-mile lanes are short Mid-Atlantic hauls, but the fattest paychecks are the runs one notch longer.
Diesel rose 3.7% to $5.454 as reefer firms and Missouri adds I-70 parking
July's rate indices all cooled, but the week's news ran to CDL licensing, ELD data and engine rules.
Broker transparency clears FMCSA as diesel keeps climbing
The transparency rule reached its final White House review this week; reefer firmed to $4.21 a mile while national diesel rose again to $5.454.
USDA's $4.14 reefer rate is produce only, and lanes run $2 to $14 a mile
It is the only free lane-level dollar rate in the U.S. — an unweighted average of whatever produce lanes moved that week, which is why short hauls read so high.
What the freight PPI measures, and why it is not dollars a mile
Dry van truckload read 195.6 in July, down 1.3% on the month, but that number tracks change from a 2003 base and never converts to a rate per mile.
The $5.454 diesel price is a pump average, not your contract rate
The EIA figure includes taxes and comes from retail pumps surveyed every Monday — fleets buying on contract pay less, and the gap widens when prices move fast.
California diesel runs $1.58 over the cheapest pumps in the country
Fuel climbed in every region this week, but the coast-to-coast spread is wide enough to route around — and reefer is holding its value better than the dry van box.
Your fuel surcharge in three numbers, with diesel at $5.454 a gallon
A subtraction and a division turn the EIA weekly average into cents per mile -- the number drivers get wrong is which price to plug in.
Drivers may get to pause the 14-hour clock as freight hunts for a floor
Regulators hand drivers a rare bit of flexibility on the 14-hour clock, while a soft freight market still shows a few places worth chasing.
What a PADD is, and why it sets your fuel surcharge
The government sorts the country into five fuel districts; this week they ran from $5.237 a gallon on the Gulf Coast to $6.203 on the West Coast.
Reefer holds at $4.14 a mile while the risks around the cab shift
The cold trailer is still the strongest-paying segment; the week's other news is about protecting what you haul and how you run it.
FMCSA tests pausing the 14-hour clock as tender rejections hint at a bottom
Diesel is still near $5.45 and July's freight indices all read red, but the week's regulatory and market signals gave drivers something other than a price to watch.
Flatbed slipped 1.2% in July but held up better than the rest of freight
The specialised index is still up 9.4% on the year, the strongest twelve-month gain of any over-the-road segment bar LTL.
Roadcheck ended clean and the fuel map is $1.58 wide
Enforcement season closed without a bloodbath, the diesel spread is worth routing around, and the cold trailer still has the leverage.
Laredo adds Saturday border hours as diesel holds above $5.45
The World Trade Bridge opens longer on Saturdays from Sept 5 — one piece of good news in a week dominated by fuel and a still-soft July rate sheet.
Freight indices slipped in July while diesel held above $5.45
Cross-border drivers pick up extra Saturday hours at Laredo from 5 September, and reefer demand stayed firm even as the produce average eased to $4.14 a mile.
Under 6% of drivers out of service in Roadcheck, and reefer holds firm
The week for owner-operators: inspection results land well, refrigerated freight stays the strongest lane, and diesel climbs to $5.45.
Diesel climbs to $5.45 a gallon as national stockpiles hit a seasonal low
Roadcheck clears most drivers, a broker-transparency rule stays stuck, and Canada sets new tariffs for 8 September.
Canada's 50% tariffs hit Sept 8, and the EPA comment window closes first
Two clocks worth watching this week, plus a Roadcheck tally, a new parking perk, and diesel still north of $5.45 a gallon.
July freight rates slipped, but the equipment market is the bull case
Truckload and LTL indices fell on the month, yet sit 8-11% above a year ago as used-truck and trailer demand firms and diesel keeps climbing.
A $9,000 tow bill and a postal surcharge, but spot rates keep firming
Enforcement and fuel bit hard this week even as truckload spot rates carried Q2 momentum into the third quarter.
Diesel climbs and enforcement bites, but spot demand firms into Q3
National diesel is $5.454 a gallon, up 46.9% on the year, while a parking-fine and border-check wave runs alongside firming truckload spot rates.
Days left on the EPA truck-rule comment window as the spot market firms
Diesel climbed to $5.45 a gallon and brokers report their strongest spot momentum in five years, but the freight index has not caught up — and a short federal comment window is the thing to act on this week.
Spot rates firm into Q3 while July's freight index still reads red
Brokers report the strongest truckload spot momentum in years, even as the monthly BLS producer price indices — which turn later — logged another July decline.
Oil eases and freight credit firms while diesel holds above $5.45
The week's trade headlines ran to tariffs and fuel, but a falling barrel, firmer freight credit, and trimmed truck-build forecasts point the other way.
Reefer holds as dry van cools — the cold trailer is the one to run
July freight rates slipped across every segment and diesel turned higher again, but refrigerated freight barely moved — and that's the opening.
Carrier failures and CDL scrutiny dominate as freight prices soften
July truck-transportation prices fell 1.9%, the backdrop to a week of survival stories, tighter CDL enforcement and easing crude.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.26 a mile in the week to 25 August
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Indiana Toll Road closes a truck-parking lot; New Hampshire votes to double a toll
Spot load counts held flat for a third straight week even as national diesel pushed to $5.454 a gallon.
Canada tariffs jump to 50% while Washington tightens the screws on CDLs
A week of cross-border and credential news for drivers, with diesel still high, spot demand soft, and crude finally easing.
Spot rates stay flat, diesel keeps climbing, and Mexico's northbound lanes tighten
Cross-border capacity out of Mexico is the one lane firming while dry-van load posts sit flat a third week and diesel adds another 3.7%.
Diesel climbs 3.7%, and the coast you fill on is worth $1.58 a gallon
Fuel jumped nationwide, rates eased on the week but hold above last year, and enforcement season is open.
Diesel rose to $5.652 a gallon
The national average rose 19.8 cents in the week to 24 August 2026.
Diesel climbs past $5.45 as the week's freight news runs to the border
Enforcement is stacking up at the South Texas crossings, the same lanes paying the least this week, while tire supply and a carrier upgrade are the brighter notes.
Reefer's best-paying miles are the short ones this week
A quiet news week; the moves worth making are on the lane and fuel boards.
Diesel rose in every region — the fill-up gap is now $1.58 a gallon
Fuel climbed across the board, reefer held while dry van slipped again, and the energy backdrop stayed unsettled.
Diesel rose again — but the $1.58 regional gap is the number to route around
Fuel climbed across the board this week, yet where you fill matters more than the headline average — alongside border-security pressure and a federal fix on I-70.
Canada's tariffs land, but the paying freight is still at home
Trade policy reshaped the border this weekend while retail demand and short East Coast lanes kept domestic freight moving.
Flatbed held the line in July while diesel outran every rate
Rates eased across the board, but specialized freight defended its year best and fuel is still setting the pace.
Reefer holds its ground while every dry-freight index slips
Freight revenue fell almost everywhere in July — except on the reefer — as the industry biggest lobby lost its president and more driverless miles moved closer.
Delmarva produce hauls topped reefer pay at $14 a mile in the week to 18 August
The national produce average slipped to $4.14 a mile, its second straight weekly decline, but short regional runs near the fields still paid multiples of the long westbound hauls.
Delmarva-Baltimore paid $14 a mile, reefer's top lane in the week to 18 Aug
Produce's fattest per-mile rates were all short regional runs; the national average slipped about 1% to $4.14 but is up 9.1% on the year.
Diesel rose in every region - and the map is now $1.58 apart
Fuel climbed across the board this week while July's freight-rate indexes slipped; where you buy diesel and which trailer you pull both matter more than usual.
Delmarva produce lanes pay $13 a mile while the reefer average slips
The refrigerated average softened, but the lane table and a stack of regulatory fights are where a carrier's week actually turns.
Diesel jumps 19.7 cents to $5.454, Midwest hit hardest
New England barely moved while Midwest pumps rose nearly 5% in a week; the cheapest fuel is now in the Lower Atlantic and Gulf Coast.
California diesel runs $1.58 over the Lower Atlantic — a $237 gap per fill
Fuel rose everywhere this week, but the regional spread is what a carrier can route around.
LTL rates fell 4.6% in July, the sharpest of any freight segment
It was the steepest monthly drop in the freight producer price index, though LTL is still up 10.7% on the year -- a bigger annual gain than truckload.
Midwest diesel jumped 4.9% last week as regional fuel gaps widened
Every region rose, but from a 0.6% bump in New England to nearly 5% in the Midwest -- enough to change where a tank is worth filling.
Every trucking freight segment fell in July
The all-trucking price index dropped 1.9%, with declines running from 0.3% in local work to 4.6% in less-than-truckload.
Diesel's relentless climb, and a reprieve on driver data
Pump prices set the tone again while a court paused a federal grab for 17 million drivers' records.
LTL rates fell 4.6% in July, the steepest drop of any freight segment
Less-than-truckload led a broad July softening, though it is still 10.7% higher than a year ago.
Diesel rose 3.7% last week to $5.45 a gallon nationally
The Midwest jumped most, up 4.9%, while New England barely moved and California topped $6.78.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.16 a mile in the week to 18 August
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel rose to $5.454 a gallon
The national average rose 19.7 cents in the week to 17 August 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.20 a mile in the week to 11 August
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $5.257 a gallon
The national average fell 9.1 cents in the week to 10 August 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.29 a mile in the week to 04 August
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel held at $5.348 a gallon
The national average held steady in the week to 03 August 2026.
Dry van rates rose 1.9% in August 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for August 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.29 a mile in the week to 28 July
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel rose to $5.313 a gallon
The national average rose 17.9 cents in the week to 27 July 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.97 a mile in the week to 21 July
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel rose to $5.134 a gallon
The national average rose 33.8 cents in the week to 20 July 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.14 a mile in the week to 14 July
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel rose to $4.796 a gallon
The national average rose 21.8 cents in the week to 13 July 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.09 a mile in the week to 07 July
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $4.578 a gallon
The national average fell 9.0 cents in the week to 06 July 2026.
Dry van rates fell 1.3% in July 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for July 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.18 a mile in the week to 30 June
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $4.668 a gallon
The national average fell 16.4 cents in the week to 29 June 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.01 a mile in the week to 23 June
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $4.832 a gallon
The national average fell 22.7 cents in the week to 22 June 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.96 a mile in the week to 16 June
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $5.059 a gallon
The national average fell 15.1 cents in the week to 15 June 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.07 a mile in the week to 09 June
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $5.210 a gallon
The national average fell 14.0 cents in the week to 08 June 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.15 a mile in the week to 02 June
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $5.350 a gallon
The national average fell 17.3 cents in the week to 01 June 2026.
Dry van rates fell 2.9% in June 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for June 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.87 a mile in the week to 26 May
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $5.523 a gallon
The national average fell 7.3 cents in the week to 25 May 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.17 a mile in the week to 19 May
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel held at $5.596 a gallon
The national average held steady in the week to 18 May 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.93 a mile in the week to 12 May
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel held at $5.639 a gallon
The national average held steady in the week to 11 May 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.58 a mile in the week to 05 May
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel rose to $5.640 a gallon
The national average rose 28.9 cents in the week to 04 May 2026.
Dry van rates rose 1.5% in May 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for May 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.91 a mile in the week to 28 April
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $5.351 a gallon
The national average fell 5.2 cents in the week to 27 April 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.99 a mile in the week to 21 April
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel fell to $5.403 a gallon
The national average fell 20.5 cents in the week to 20 April 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.96 a mile in the week to 14 April
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel held at $5.608 a gallon
The national average held steady in the week to 13 April 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.02 a mile in the week to 07 April
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel rose to $5.643 a gallon
The national average rose 24.2 cents in the week to 06 April 2026.
Dry van rates rose 5.1% in April 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for April 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Produce reefer rates averaged $4.04 a mile in the week to 31 March
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Diesel held at $5.401 a gallon
The national average held steady in the week to 30 March 2026.
Produce reefer rates averaged $3.89 a mile in the week to 24 March
Where refrigerated produce freight paid best and worst, from USDA's weekly market news.
Dry van rates rose 4.4% in March 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for March 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 1.1% in February 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for February 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 0.2% in January 2026
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for January 2026, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates fell 4.2% in December 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for December 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 2.3% in November 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for November 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates fell 0.6% in October 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for October 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 2.0% in September 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for September 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 0.8% in August 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for August 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 7.4% in July 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for July 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates fell 5.7% in June 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for June 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 2.0% in May 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for May 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 5.6% in April 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for April 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates fell 7.6% in March 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for March 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates fell 1.2% in February 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for February 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 5.8% in January 2025
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for January 2025, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates rose 7.1% in December 2024
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for December 2024, and what they do and do not measure.
Dry van rates fell 3.4% in November 2024
Flatbed and LTL moved too. The monthly producer price indices for November 2024, and what they do and do not measure.