08/21/2026
Rates are cooling. The market isn't.
Spot linehaul rates minus fuel slipped again this week across all three equipment types, a fourth straight decline for dry van and flatbed and a fifth for re**er.
Every one of them still sits 35% to 40% above last August, and truck posts are down roughly 30% year over year. Capacity is holding this floor, not freight demand.
At the same time, West Coast imports are running hot as shippers get ahead of tariff changes. That pulls peak season forward and leaves a hole in Q4.
If you're planning fall capacity around a normal peak, you may be planning for the wrong month.
When does your peak season actually start this year?