Flatbed Demand Rises for 5th Month as Rates Climb Across 6 Regions for 14 Straight Months
Updated
Updated · Land Line Media · May 27
Flatbed Demand Rises for 5th Month as Rates Climb Across 6 Regions for 14 Straight Months
2 articles · Updated · Land Line Media · May 27
Flatbed demand increased for a fifth straight month in May, with the Southeast posting the largest gain and rates rising in all six regions for a 14th consecutive month.
Capacity tightened faster than freight availability, the OOIDA Foundation said, while declines in primary metal and cement and concrete manufacturing also shaped the flatbed market.
Broader trucking signals were mixed: the Cass Shipment Index rose and the Truckload Linehaul Index grew for the seventh time in eight months, but spot rates still lag fuel costs for some owner-operators.
Oil and diesel prices tied to Middle East tensions continue to cloud a market where dry van volumes remain soft, reefer demand stays below 2019 levels, and a stronger 2026 recovery depends on stabilization.
As new rules sideline 200,000 truckers, is the American supply chain on the verge of collapse?
With the Strait of Hormuz closed, is a global food crisis from fertilizer shortages now inevitable?
What new global trade routes are emerging to bypass the escalating Middle East conflict zone?