US truckload spot rates moved higher across every major equipment type in 2026 as carrier capacity tightened, according to freight market data tracked by FreightWaves. Dry van rates led the recovery, climbing roughly 23 percent from the prior cycle, while refrigerated and flatbed rates rose in a range of 13 to 20 percent.

Dry van spot rates ran near 2.47 to 2.58 dollars per mile, still below the 2022 peak above 3.00 dollars but solidly above breakeven for most operators. Refrigerated rates carried a widening premium over dry van, averaging in the range of 2.21 dollars per mile on a linehaul basis before the produce season and pushing toward 2.95 dollars as cold-chain demand strengthened. On produce-heavy lanes such as Florida to the Northeast and California outbound, reefer rates were projected to spike toward 3.50 to 4.50 dollars per mile at seasonal peak.

Market indicators reinforced the tightening trend. Load-to-truck ratios on the van board climbed above five to one on premium lanes, outbound tender volumes ran about 8 percent higher than a year earlier, and carrier utilization tightened across equipment classes. Van and reefer spot rates posted several consecutive months of gains heading into mid-year.

Analysts cautioned that the rate climb still lacked the broad volume support seen in prior up-cycles, leaving the recovery uneven across regions and lanes even as headline numbers improved.

Source: FreightWaves - https://www.freightwaves.com/news/spot-rates-climb-but-lack-support