Trucking Freight

Good morning,

Along with the Market Outlook, is the latest Morgan Stanley Data for week of 24 August through 30 August 2026:

MARKET OUTLOOK:  Last week the question was whether the summer cooldown was a pause or a turn — and the early answer is a pause. Loads posted rose 12% while trucks posted fell 5%, capacity tightened hard in all three modes, and September opened with spot up across the board, van back over $3.00. Fuel finally took a breather, easing to $5.60 after seven straight weeks of gains, though it still runs 49% above last year and 22% above the July low, so the cost pressure on carriers hasn't gone anywhere. Year-over-year is still strong — flatbed up 42%, van up 42%, reefer up 40%. Load-to-truck runs 76–93% above last year across the modes.  Tightening capacity against firming demand is how the next leg up starts — if this holds into peak season, expect rates to push higher from here.

VAN MARKET:  Van made the biggest move of the summer — load-to-truck ratio jumped 23% on the week and spot opened September back above $3.00 at $3.02 after averaging $2.89 in August. Contract sits at $3.18, a $0.16 premium over spot. Up 42% year-over-year.

FLATBED MARKET:  Capacity snapped back — load-to-truck jumped 17% on the week, a second straight increase, and September opened at $3.57 after August closed at $3.54. Contract pushed to $4.02, stretching its premium over spot to $0.45, the widest yet. Still up 42% on the year.

REEFER MARKET: Reefer tightened another 11%, a second straight double-digit move, and September opened sharply higher at $3.57 against August's $3.38 — spot has now closed the gap to contract entirely. Up 40% on the year.

Thanks very much, we hope you find the above information useful in your transportation planning. 

Brian Kostef

Managing Director