// MARKET INTELLIGENCE & FUEL TELEMETRY

Freight Market Rates & Fuel Intelligence.

Real-time spot rate averages, official US Energy Information Administration (EIA) diesel petroleum tracking, and client-side carrier cost tools.

Updated weekly // Thursday 08:00 AM CST

National Van Spot Avg

$2.12

+$0.04(vs prior week)

National Reefer Spot Avg

$2.54

+$0.08(vs prior week)

Live

DOE Diesel National Avg

$6.29

+$0.32(vs prior week)

Van Load-to-Truck Ratio

3.8 : 1

+14%(tightening capacity)

// BENCHMARK AVERAGE SPOT RATES

National Spot Rates by Equipment

Based on DAT One & Hot Wheel Carrier Network Settlements

53' Reefer (Temp Controlled)$2.54 / mi

↳Pacific NW produce surge & Midwest refrigerated lanes commanding premium rates.

Flatbed / Stepdeck$2.68 / mi

↳Gulf Coast energy, structural steel & manufacturing freight running at year highs.

Hotshot 40'$2.45 / mi

↳Texas Permian Basin & Southeast rapid-deployment industrial materials.

Power Only (Drop & Hook)$2.38 / mi

↳High demand across freight forwarders repositioning trailers nationwide.

53' Dry Van$2.12 / mi

↳Solid Midwest and Southeast retail replenishments with low deadhead turns.

26' Box Truck (Liftgate)$2.30 / mi

↳Metro regional distribution, medical equipment & high-touch freight.

// 12-WEEK OFFICIAL EIA INDEX

US Diesel Fuel Trendline

$6.29Current Nat. Avg • Live

Source: US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Weekly On-Highway Petroleum Report. Release: September 15, 2026.

// REGIONAL PRICE DISPERSION

PADD Regional Diesel Rates

East CoastPADD 1

$6.16 / gal

+41.4¢ WoW

MidwestPADD 2

$6.25 / gal

+30.4¢ WoW

Gulf CoastPADD 3

$6.03 / gal

+27.3¢ WoW

Rocky MountainPADD 4

$6.07 / gal

+26.1¢ WoW

West Coast (ex CA)PADD 5

$6.57 / gal

+25.2¢ WoW

CaliforniaPADD 5

$8.04 / gal

+27.5¢ WoW

💡 Fuel Tip:Gulf Coast (PADD 3) diesel spread offers the highest profit margin.

// THE CARRIER BREAK-EVEN ENGINE

Calculate Your Exact Minimum Floor Before Bidding.

Never accept an unvetted load. Input your actual truck metrics to generate your true cost-per-mile floor and recommended negotiation target.

Loaded Trip Miles:780 mi

Anticipated Deadhead Miles:45 mi

Regional Diesel Price ($/gal):$6.29

Tractor Fuel Economy (MPG):6.5 MPG

Fixed Overhead + Maint. ($/mi):$1.05/mi

Includes truck note, insurance, IFTA, tires, oil & routine service fund.

// Minimum Acceptable Rate (MAR Floor)

$2.13 / loaded mi

Hauling below this exact rate results in negative trip cash flow.

Fuel Burn Cost:$798

Fixed & Maintenance Cost:$866

Total Trip Cost:$1,664

● Target 25% Net Margin Rate

$2.84 / mi ($2,219 gross)

Hot Wheel dispatchers aggressively target this bracket or higher on every load negotiation.

// CAPACITY RATIO TRACKER

Hot Outbound Markets

Load-to-truck ratio: higher numbers represent stronger carrier bargaining power.

Atlanta, GA5.8 : 1 (Surge)

Dallas, TX5.2 : 1 (Surge)

Chicago, IL4.6 : 1 (Surge)

Allentown, PA4.1 : 1 (Balanced)

Houston, TX3.9 : 1 (Balanced)

Ontario, CA3.2 : 1 (Balanced)

// DESK INTEL

This Week's Dispatch Read

Direct insights from Senior Dispatcher Brian Williams and our freight negotiation desk.

LANES // SOUTHEAST

Atlanta & Dallas outbound maintaining aggressive spot floors

Brokers with tight appointment windows in Georgia are paying $3.40+ on dry van loads heading West. Do not book below $3.25 out of Atlanta this week.

FUEL // PADD 3

Gulf Coast diesel spread creates heavy margin upside

At $3.44/gal along I-10 and I-20, fuel burn on triangular runs (TX → GA → NC → TX) is averaging 18% lower than Midwest origin loops.

BROKER INTELLIGENCE

Detention recovery window shortening: require timestamps

Shippers are requiring in-and-out GPS geofence timestamps within 2 hours of free time expiration. Hot Wheel logs and confirms every detention clock in real-time.

CAPACITY SQUEEZE

Reefer rejections up 8% across Florida & South Texas

Temperature-controlled freight rejection rates increased, giving owner-operators leverage to negotiate accessorials and $3.80+ spot rates.

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