Truckload spot rates including fuel are holding elevated at roughly $2.80 per mile nationally, according to recent FreightWaves SONAR readings, a level about 23 percent higher than a year ago when rates sat near $2.33 per mile. The move marks one of the clearer signs that the spot market has tightened after years of soft pricing.

Tender rejections, which track how often carriers turn down contracted loads, are hovering near 14 percent. That is a rate not seen consistently since the post-pandemic unwind in 2022 and higher than any point across 2023, 2024, or 2025. Rising rejections typically push more freight into the spot market and give carriers leverage on price.

Seasonal demand played a role. The pre-Fourth of July and end-of-quarter push unfolded as expected, with tightening capacity through late June and early July lifting spot rates. SONAR data showed accepted truckload volumes trending above 2025 levels since Memorial Day, while DAT figures held steady month over month in June with continued year-over-year growth.

Analysts attribute the greater reliance on the spot market to routing guide disruptions as contracted capacity fails to cover committed freight. Intermodal spot rates have lagged the trucking surge so far, though the coverage projects that gap narrowing as truckload strength persists into the back half of 2026. Shippers watching these indicators are weighing whether elevated rejection rates signal a durable shift in capacity.

Source: FreightWaves -- https://www.freightwaves.com/news/intermodal-spot-rates-havent-kept-pace-with-truckings-spot-market-surge-but-thats-about-to-change-in-2026