Weather Updates:

• Freeze protection services are currently active in Alaska and Northern Canada. For shipments containing freezable freight, ensure that freeze protection service is added. Please note that this service brings additional charges and may result in transit delays.

Small Parcel Updates:

• ‌Holiday Weekend Service: USPS, UPS, and FedEx will all operate normally on Good Friday, but none of the carriers will provide standard pickup or delivery services on Easter Sunday. FedEx will run with adjusted hours on Good Friday, while both FedEx and UPS suspend most services on Easter.
• USPS Fuel Surcharge: USPS will introduce a temporary 8% fuel surcharge on packages starting April 26 to offset rising transportation costs tied to surging oil prices. This surcharge will apply to Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select, through January 17, 2027.

LTL Updates:

• ‌‌LTL Rate Forecast: LTL contract rate forecasts rose .1 points from last month to a 5.7% increase excluding fuel for February, with March showing an increase of 3.9%. The long-term outlook for 2026 climbed 1.2 points to a 6.6% increase.
• Diesel Rates: National diesel prices increased, up $0.026 from last week, averaging $5.401 per gallon, $1.809 higher than the same time last year, and $1.405 higher than two years ago. The California region saw the largest increase, up $0.349 to $7.219 per gallon. The Midwest region saw the largest decrease, down $0.055 to $5.105.

TL Updates:

• ‌Market Activity: Spot load posts are up 2.1% from last week, and spot truck posts are up 2.7%. The Load-to-Truck Ratio (LTR) was up for vans and flatbeds, while down reefers. The FreightWaves Pricing Power Index rose to 65, signaling a market in carriers’ favor. The three-month outlook is up to 70, due to network pressure in agricultural and construction sectors.
• ‌Rate Forecast: Spot rate forecasts showed another significant jump, rising 5.5 points from the previous forecast to a 17.2% YOY increase for 2026, driven by tightening capacity as the agricultural and construction seasons begin, on top of escalating energy prices. Contract rate expectations are showing a 5.7% increase for 2026, and the total truck rate outlook is showing 9.4% YOY increase for 2026 up from 6.7% previously forecasted.
• ‌Outbound Tender Rejection Index (OTRI): OTRI continued its upward trajectory this week, increasing to 14.94 from 14.46, signaling further tightening in overall truckload capacity. The move was largely driven by a sharp rebound in flatbed rejections, while refrigerated rejection rates also pushed higher and contributed to the broader increase. Van rejections softened slightly week over week but remained elevated enough to keep overall market conditions firm. Residual quarter-end volatility from the 3/31 close appears to still be influencing rejection behavior, particularly as networks work through end-of-period imbalances, while the early stages of produce season are beginning to place incremental pressure on refrigerated capacity. Taken together, these dynamics suggest that capacity remains constrained in the near term, with seasonal demand and recent market dislocations continuing to support elevated rejection levels.
• ‌Dry Van: National dry van demand softened slightly in the Midwest but still rose 0.8% to a 10.1:1 LTR. The highest demand is spread across the United States, other than CA, IL, MI, ND and NE at over 5.5:1 LTR. The national spot rate per mile (RPM) for dry vans increased $0.11 from February to $2.52, led by the Midwest at $2.78. The VOTRI decreased to 14.28, down from 14.64 in the previous week.
• ‌Dry Van Rate Forecast: 2026 loadings softened slightly to a projected increase of 1.4% YOY. The 2026 dry van spot rate forecast shows a 20.2% increase, while total truck rates show a 10.5% YOY increase excluding fuel.
• ‌Flatbed:  National flatbed demand rose 1.9% to an 81.6:1 LTR, with the highest demand spread across the United States, other than ND at over 18:1 LTR. The spot RPM for flatbeds has climbed $0.36 from February to $3.08 nationally, led by the Midwest at $3.30. The FOTRI bounced back this week, closing at 48.63, up from 40.30 the previous week.
• ‌Flatbed Rate Forecast: The 2026 loadings outlook weakened from a 2.1% increase to a 1.9% YOY increase. The 2026 flatbed spot rate forecast rose to a 12.5% increase, while the total truck rate shows a 7.09% YOY increase excluding fuel.
• ‌Reefer: National reefer demand decreased by 8.6% to an 18.9:1 LTR nationally, with the highest demand spread across the United States, other than CT, FL, IL, MA, MD, MN, NE, NH, and RI at over 12:1 LTR. The spot RPM for reefers increased $0.10 from February, averaging $2.97 nationally, led by the Midwest at $3.32. The ROTRI, reflecting Easter and produce impacts, increased to 20.71 from 20.38 the previous week.
• ‌Reefer Rate Forecast: The 2026 reefer loadings outlook degraded from last month from a 2.8% increase to a 2.1% YOY increase. The 2026 reefer spot rate forecast shows a 22.9% increase, while total truck rates show an 11.4% YOY increase excluding fuel.

International Updates:

• ‌FBX Trends: Lane specific container rates showed upward movement week-over-week, with the global average cost of an FBX container falling 1.0% to $1,760. The FBX01 average increased 4% to $2,184 while the FBX03 average climbed 3% to $3,198.
• ‌Port of Los Angeles: Vessels are currently averaging 3.6 days at berth. The port reported a 4.99% YOY volume increase from 19 scheduled vessels during the week of March 29, 2026. For the week of April 5, container volumes are projected to decrease 3.80% YOY, with 20 scheduled vessels moving a projected 101,831 TEUs.

Embargoes:

‌There are no embargoes currently impacting our freight network.