Truckload spot rates reached an all-time record in early June 2026, jumping $0.09 per mile overnight to $3.83 per mile, according to freight analytics firm Ship TLI. The Logistics Managers Index reported that transportation prices are expanding at the fastest rate ever recorded in the nearly 10-year history of the index.
The price surge traces partly to a sustained Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enforcement campaign that has removed approximately 40,000 trucks from service since June 2025. Of the roughly 1.2 million trucks operating on US highways, approximately 36% carry no safety rating from the FMCSA. That compliance gap has shrunk available capacity at a time when freight demand is rising.
Contributing factors include carrier exits, a persistent driver shortage, rising operating costs, and higher diesel prices. ISM Manufacturing PMI reached 54.0 in May 2026, the fifth consecutive month of expansion and the highest reading since May 2022, signaling continued industrial freight demand.
Reefer capacity remains one of the tightest market segments. Increased demand for fresh produce and seasonal beverages is pulling trucks into the Southeast and Midwest, creating lane volatility and above-average spot pricing on outbound moves.
The national average on-highway diesel price stood at $5.210 per gallon as of June 8, according to the EIA, adding further operating cost pressure on owner-operators and small carriers without fuel surcharge protections.
Source: Ship TLI -- https://shiptli.com/transportation-trends/june-2026-freight-market-spot-rates-and-carrier-crackdowns/