Freight Market Resources

The truckload market is massive, fragmented and dynamic. There are over 900,000 carriers in the U.S., 97% of which operate 20 trucks or fewer. Carrier supply and freight demand are rarely balanced in this market, causing freight rates to be extremely volatile.

However, rates do tend to fluctuate in a predictable pattern — the truckload market cycle — in which rates peak, drop to a trough and return to equilibrium. This cycle usually lasts several quarters, and we measure it with our proprietary Coyote Curve freight index.

A number of factors can influence your rate, especially if you are looking to secure a one-time spot rate.

To get the best rate you can, you need to provide accurate details about your shipment, shop around between multiple providers, consider factors beyond just the up-front cost that could contribute to your total expenditure and give yourself as much lead time as possible.

You can follow this eight-step guide to securing spot rates to ensure you get the best rate you can. And if you think you might be ready for more of a commitment, learn about the difference between spot and contract rates.

Even though intermodal shipping is a truckload conversion product, its pricing is quite different from what you’ll find in the truckload market.

Every intermodal rate has three elements: origin drayage (an over-the-road carrier that drives the container to the railyard), linehaul (the rail portion of the journey) and destination drayage (carrying the container to its destination).

But while intermodal rates are more complex than truckload rates, they’re also more consistent. Learn everything you need to know about intermodal pricing here.