To view this email as a web page, click here

NEWSLETTER BROUGHT TO YOU BY — FLEETWORTHY

Fleetworthy helps fleets stay road ready with streamlined operations, stronger compliance, and industry-leading toll and bypass coverage — trusted by 75% of top carriers. Learn More.

In this week’s edition: Ukrainian truckers worry about nondomiciled CDL changes, freight data suggest the goods economy is in a recession, October LMI shows more price increases over capacity while U.S. Bank Q3 data shows lower volumes and higher prices, freight brokerages risk a wave of failures next year, and a federal judge blocks CARB’s Clean Truck Partnership enforcement.

As always, thanks for reading.

– Thomas Wasson

This week’s stories from the wide world of Trucking

CDL ISSUES

CDL overhaul tailspins Ukrainian truckers

Drivers tell FMCSA they’re unfairly targeted by non-domiciled CDL rule

SUPPLY CHAIN

Is the goods economy in a recession? Freight data suggests so

This sharp volume decline in 2025 isn’t isolated to trucking; it’s a symptom of broader economic malaise in the goods sector.

INDEXES

October LMI shows price increases outpacing capacity growth

Logistics Managers’ Index flags significant market tightening over next year

TRUCKLOAD INDEXES

U.S. freight market reverses gains in third quarter as volumes fall

U.S. Bank report shows shippers paid more to move less amid tariffs and economic slowdown, with regional divides deepening.

LOGISTICS

The Perfect Storm: Why freight brokerages face a wave of failures in 2026

If the current freight climate continues, a number of freight brokerages—many of them large—will likely fail over the next year.

LEGAL ISSUES

Judge blocks CARB’s Clean Truck Partnership enforcement

Truck driver wages haven’t grown industry-wide; just at certain parcel and LTL carriers

SONAR spotlight: Slight gains for tender rejection and spot rates

(Source: SONAR)

Summary: Nationwide outbound tender rejection rates and dry van spot rates posted slight gains over the past week. Outbound tender rejection rates rose 24 basis points from 5.94% on Oct. 27 to 6.18%. Compared to last month, OTRI is 49 basis points higher. When focusing on specific segments, dry van and reefer also posted week-over-week gains in tender rejection rates, but reefer saw a slight decline in spot market rates.

The dry van segment continues to underperform the nationwide outbound tender rejection rate but remains in a more favorable position despite lower outbound tender volumes. VOTRI rose 26 basis points week-over-week from 5.39% to 5.65%. Dry van tender volumes softened over the past week, falling 1.98% week-over-week to 6,642.34 points. For the month, VOTVI fell 2.15%.

Dry van spot rates saw slight gains despite broader softening in dry van volumes. The SONAR National Truckload Index 7-Day Average gained 1 cent per mile from $2.34 to $2.35. That’s 4 cents per mile higher than last month, and 1 cent per mile higher than $2.34 on Sept. 4.

Reefer spot rates and outbound tender rejection rates are in a more favorable spot compared to the larger and less volatile dry van segment. Reefer outbound tender rejection rates rose 107 basis points week-over-week to 16.69%. That’s 279 basis points higher compared to last month.

Reefer spot market rates settled 2 cents per mile lower from $2.68 to $2.66 per mile. RTI is 7 cents per mile higher than last month and 1 cent per mile higher than on Sept. 4.

Looking ahead, outbound tender rejection rates and spot market rates are expected to increase leading up to peak season. The extent of the gains remains uncertain given structural threats to the supply of truckload capacity from added regulatory scrutiny.