U.S. freight demand, spot rates, load availability, and market trends that impact owner-operators and carriers.
For the fourth straight fall, the Mississippi River is slipping into low-water mode just as harvest ramps up — and the knock-on effects will not stop at the towboat wheelhouse. With barge drafts and tow widths cut along long stretches…
On Friday, September 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signaled openness to Union Pacific’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern, saying the deal “sounds good to me.” The endorsement adds political tailwind to a transcontinental rail tie-up that would reshape…
FreightWaves’ latest State of Freight takeaways point to a trucking market that remains tepid on volumes yet increasingly orderly, with hints that normal seasonality and selective demand pockets could provide lift into autumn. For carriers and brokers, that means navigating…
FedEx reaffirmed that carving out its less-than-truckload arm remains on a June 2026 timetable, underscoring that the separation work is active even as the core business navigates a volatile trade backdrop. The company flagged the target in its fiscal first-quarter…
United Parcel Service has terminated its plan to buy Mexico City–based Estafeta, saying the closing conditions could not all be met. In a Form 8‑K filed on September 18, UPS disclosed the decision was taken a day earlier, September 17,…
Uber Freight’s annual gathering this week trained a spotlight on two forces remaking trucking in real time: the rapid operationalization of AI inside shipper-carrier networks and the policy shock of see‑sawing tariffs. Speakers warned that the U.S. may be entering…
The Port of Los Angeles is bracing for a roughly 10% year-over-year drop in imports through the rest of 2025 after retailers front‑loaded holiday goods, a shift that is poised to take some heat out of Southern California drayage and…
For-hire shipment activity worsened in August, with year-over-year declines accelerating, according to the latest Cass Freight Index update highlighted by FreightWaves. The headline takeaway: freight demand remains soft even as some month-to-month metrics stabilized, underscoring a market still working off…
Truckload Market Snapshot: What This Week’s Rates Mean for Your Revenue For the week ending September 1, 2025, national spot rates moved higher across the board: Vans averaged $2.08 per mile (up $0.05 week over week), Flatbeds $2.55 (up $0.07),…
A leading shipper coalition is sounding the alarm over Union Pacific’s bid to acquire Norfolk Southern, arguing the coast‑to‑coast rail combination would tilt market power away from customers and toward a single carrier. The Freight Rail Customer Alliance told FreightWaves…