US truckload rates rise as diesel prices exceed $6

US truckload freight rates increased during September 2026 as rising diesel prices pushed up transport charges across dry van, refrigerated and flatbed operations, despite lower freight volumes in several equipment categories.

Figures published by DAT Freight & Analytics on 13 October show that national average broker-to-carrier spot rates, including fuel, reached $3.01 per mile for dry vans, $3.62 for refrigerated trailers and $3.61 for flatbeds. The increases came as the average national on-highway diesel price reached $6.291 per US gallon, exceeding $6 for the first time in the company’s monthly reporting series.

Dry van spot rates rose 12 cents per mile from August and were 96 cents higher than in September 2025. Refrigerated rates increased 24 cents month on month and $1.18 year on year, while flatbed rates rose seven cents from August and $1.11 against the same month last year.

Those figures describe the total rate paid for transport rather than the underlying charge excluding fuel. Once DAT’s estimated fuel component is removed, dry van spot linehaul declined by two cents to $2.17 per mile, while flatbed linehaul fell ten cents to $2.60. Refrigerated linehaul increased nine cents to $2.70.

The difference shows how rising fuel expenditure can increase a shipper’s transport bill even when the underlying market for vehicle capacity remains weak. A higher all-in freight rate does not necessarily leave a carrier with more income after operating costs, particularly when diesel prices have risen rapidly.

Spot market rates are generally negotiated as a single price per mile. DAT calculates an estimated fuel component to allow comparison with linehaul rates, rather than reporting an identical surcharge charged separately on every transaction. In September, its estimated fuel contribution reached 84 cents per mile for dry vans, 92 cents for refrigerated trailers and $1.01 for flatbeds.

The corresponding monthly increases were 14, 15 and 17 cents. All three estimated fuel components exceeded their previous highs from June 2022, reflecting the exceptional rise in diesel costs rather than a uniform improvement in the commercial position of trucking companies.

The scale of the increase can be illustrated by a truck covering 500 miles per day while averaging six miles per US gallon. At September’s average diesel price, that journey would require approximately $524 of fuel, compared with $310 at February’s average of $3.722. The difference amounts to around $214 per day, or $1,070 over five operating days.

Actual expenditure varies with vehicle efficiency, payload, route and operating conditions, but the calculation demonstrates how quickly fuel costs can affect the amount a carrier needs to recover from each movement. Diesel must also be purchased before many freight invoices are settled, increasing the immediate working capital required to operate vehicles.

Dean Croke, principal industry analyst at DAT, said spot rates typically take three to four weeks to respond to higher diesel prices. During that interval, carriers can face rising expenditure before the prevailing market price for transport has adjusted sufficiently to cover it.

Contract rates also increased when fuel was included. DAT reported national averages of $3.24 per mile for dry vans, $3.58 for refrigerated freight and $4.04 for flatbeds, representing monthly increases of 13, 16 and 12 cents respectively. The refrigerated and flatbed totals established new monthly records.

The fuel-adjusted contract figures showed much smaller movements. Dry van linehaul fell one cent to $2.40 per mile, refrigerated linehaul increased one cent to $2.66 and flatbed linehaul declined five cents to $3.03. Contracts with explicit fuel adjustment provisions can therefore experience a substantial change in the total amount charged without an equivalent renegotiation of the underlying carriage rate.

Freight volumes provide further context for the price changes. DAT’s Truckload Volume Index fell from August for dry van and refrigerated freight but increased for flatbeds, while all three categories remained below their September 2025 levels.

The dry van index stood at 252, down 1% month on month and year on year. Refrigerated freight reached 178, declining 5% from August and 10% from September 2025, while flatbeds reached 298, up 2% on the month but down 7% annually.

The index tracks changes in qualifying freight movements represented in DAT’s transaction data, rather than every truckload transported throughout the United States. Its figures nevertheless provide a comparison between the direction of freight activity and the rates being paid across the company’s reporting network.

The refrigerated sector recorded a different underlying price movement from dry vans and flatbeds. Its September spot rate exceeded the previous monthly high of $3.60 recorded in January 2022, while its fuel-adjusted linehaul also increased. That combination indicates stronger underlying pricing within DAT’s refrigerated market data, although individual lanes and equipment availability can differ substantially from national averages.

Transport buyers comparing contract and spot rates must therefore separate changes attributable to diesel from those reflecting the market for freight capacity. An increase in the total charge can represent higher energy costs, changes in underlying linehaul or a combination of the two, with different consequences for budgeting and carrier negotiations.

The September figures show that fuel dominated the overall increase while freight demand remained uneven. Subsequent monthly results will establish whether linehaul rates strengthen more broadly or whether continuing diesel volatility remains the principal driver of US truckload transport charges.