Truckload capacity tightening

Truckload capacity is tightening again, with Florida produce lanes flipping into shortage and large carriers saying pricing is finally moving up. (dat.com) (markets.financialcontent.com) DAT said Central and South Florida moved to full shortage status across every eastbound produce lane in the week ending April 21, 2026. Spot truck rates out of Florida jumped 42% to Atlanta, 25% to Chicago, 23% to Philadelphia, 17% to Baltimore, and 14% to New York. (dat.com) Knight-Swift, one of North America’s largest truckload carriers, said in its first-quarter 2026 results that recent bid activity points to mid-to-high single-digit rate increases later this year. A separate analysis of the company’s April 2026 commentary said management is targeting high single to low double-digit increases in current bids, with more of the benefit showing up in the second half. (investor.knight-swift.com) (markets.financialcontent.com) Demand is also firming. The American Trucking Associations’ tonnage index rose 3% in March from a year earlier, the strongest year-over-year gain since October 2022, while first-quarter tonnage was up 2.1% from the same period in 2025. (ccjdigital.com) Truckload pricing depends on how many loads need moving and how many trucks are available. When produce harvests bunch up in a short window, refrigerated trucks get pulled into those lanes first, and other shippers usually face higher rates or fewer options. (dat.com) The spring produce season has been tightening in stages, not all at once. DAT reported on April 7 that Nogales posted its first shortage lane of 2026, California shifted to slight shortage, South Texas stayed elevated, and Florida had already started to rebound after several quieter weeks. (dat.com) That pattern matters for contract freight as much as spot freight. Knight-Swift said tighter capacity, helped by regulatory enforcement and better demand, could let higher bid rates flow into results in the back half of 2026. (markets.financialcontent.com) The tonnage data comes with a caveat. In a March report, American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello said some of the gain may reflect trucks leaving the highway, not just stronger freight demand, which means a smaller supply base can lift rates even if freight growth stays modest. (ccjdigital.com) For now, the clearest signal is on the produce map: Florida’s late-season squeeze is concentrating loads, reefer trucks have better-paying alternatives, and carriers are talking about price increases again. (dat.com) (markets.financialcontent.com)