Fuel Updates
Domestic diesel fuel prices reversed their recent decline. The U.S. national average on-highway diesel price is $5.26 – $5.30/gallon for the week of July 27th (EIA data), up from $5.134/gallon for the week of July 20th.
Regional variations persist: the Midwest has seen some moderation, while West Coast prices (especially California) remain elevated, but continue to reflect broader volatility. Primarily driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts, restricted shipping lanes, and seasonal refining constraints. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has paralyzed the transit of roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day. This has severely tightened global fuel supplies.
At the end of July 2026, the domestic truckload market is experiencing a rare divergence: spot rates are undergoing a sharp late-July seasonal cooling even as underlying capacity remains structurally tight and diesel prices surge. The market has entered a highly volatile phase where contract rates are under severe upward pressure because spot prices recently flipped above contract security for the first time in over four (4) years. In June and early July, national spot averages outpaced contract rates. Shippers are dealing with heavily disrupted routing guides, forcing them to accept higher rates to secure reliable primary capacity.
Reefer Freight:
- At the end of July 2026, the national average refrigerated (reefer) spot linehaul rate sits at $2.72 per mile (excluding fuel surcharges), reflecting a normal 2.9% week-over-week seasonal cooling as peak summer produce volumes begin to taper.
- The market is facing severe supply-side capacity constraints. This late-July pullback is occurring off a structurally higher floor, leaving reefer spot rates 39.6% higher year-over-year compared to late July last year.
- Historic summer temperatures stretching across the Eastern U.S. and Gulf Coast have forced shippers to aggressively migrate freight out of dry vans into temperature-controlled reefers simply to protect heat-sensitive retail, food, and beverage products from spoiling.
- Major refrigerated carriers note that a massive regulatory crackdown on non-compliant drivers and a wave of carrier liquidations have drained physical trucks out of the market. This has permanently shifted pricing leverage back to the carriers.
- At the end of July 2026, the national refrigerated (reefer) load-to-truck ratio stands at 18.39 to 19.75 loads per truck.
Van Freight:
- At the end of July 2026, the national average dry van spot linehaul rate stands at $2.38 per mile (excluding fuel surcharges), marking a 2.5% week-over-week seasonal decline.
- The domestic dry van market is defined by a striking paradox: spot rates are experiencing a normal late-July seasonal softening, yet the market floor remains structurally elevated due to a major capacity deficit.
- Regulatory clampdowns on cabotage and tighter visa enforcement at the southern border have thinned out cross-border dry van availability, trapping equipment in regional pockets.
- To protect their supply chains from volatile over-the-road fuel surcharges, shippers are converting standard highway freight over to rail networks wherever possible.
- At the end of July 2026, the national dry van load-to-truck ratio settled at 9.95 loads per truck.
Flatbed Freight:
- At the end of July 2026, the national average flatbed spot linehaul rate stands at $2.95 per mile (excluding fuel surcharges), marking a 2.5% week-over-week seasonal decline.
- The domestic flatbed market is navigating a critical seasonal pivot: open-deck spot rates have finally broken their historic 17-week growth streak.
- While industrial and construction demand are experiencing a standard mid-summer cooling, the supply-side crunch is preventing a pricing collapse. Shippers are dealing with heavily disrupted routing guides and massive regional capacity imbalances.
- The Upper Midwest & West: Showing signs of localized truck stabilization, dropping faster toward a balanced equilibrium which pulled the national ratio down.
- At the end of July 2026, the national domestic flatbed load-to-truck ratio stands at 43.9 to 44.1 loads per truck.
Overall, the truckload market enters a highly volatile transitional phase at the end of July 2026. While structural supply constraints and the recent spot-to-contract inversion maintain a fundamentally carrier-friendly environment, spot rates across all modes are undergoing a sharp, late-month seasonal cooling. Seasonal produce and flatbed infrastructure volumes are naturally tapering, pulling load-to-truck ratios down from their mid-month peaks. However, carriers retain significant leverage as a 56-cent surge in diesel prices accelerates small-fleet liquidations, keeping capacity severely restricted. Shippers must closely monitor elevated contract tender rejection rates and aggressive front-loaded import volumes heading into August.
We hope you have a fantastic week! If you need any assistance or have any questions, please reach out to your RIM Representative or to our Domestic Team at RIMDomestic@rimlogistics.com.