Expect High Rates/Demand in Ithaca, Gary, Albuquerque and Norfolk This Week

Trucker Tools’ Market Index Report is a three times/week report that tells truckers like you where capacity will be most needed and where rates will declining in the coming week. Armed with this knowledge, you can get your truck(s) into hot markets in time to take advantage of high demand and rates — and avoid taking loads into areas where rates will be low. You also can use Trucker Tools’ free Market Index Report to determine whether backhaul rates will be low on a specific run, which helps you make better decisions on loads. Today’s Market Index Report finds that demand for reefer capacity remains high across the country, especially at ports and for several border towns. 

Where Demand, Rates Will Be Rising

• Expect flatbed demand and rates to rise in the next five to seven days for  Southwest, Ontario (Canada); Allentown, Pa.; Gary, Ind.; Lubbock, Texas; and Albuquerque, N.M. 
• Demand for reefer capacity will be increasing in the coming week for Tucson, Ariz.; Norfolk, Va.; Bowling Green, Ky.; and Decatur, Ala.
• Ithaca, N.Y. will be a hot market for van capacity over the next week.

Where Demand, Rates Will Be Declining

• Expect flatbed rates to decrease this week for Corpus Christi, Texas; Stockton, Calif.; Charleston, W.Va.; Duluth, Minn.; and Erie, Pa. 
• Demand for reefer capacity will decline in the next five to seven daysfor Hartford, Conn.
• The San Francisco power only market also will be cooling off in the coming week.

Trucker Tools’ Market Insights

• Gary, Ind., is making its first appearance in our Market Index Report as one of the hottest markets for flatbed in the coming week. A long-time manufacturer of steel, Gary is home to U.S. Steel’s Gary Works mill, the largest integrated steel mill in North America. 
• After shutting down one of its blast furnaces in 2020 because of the coronavirus, Gary Works recently brought its blast furnaces back online as demand for steel has picked up in recent months. 
• Decatur, Ala., where demand and rates for reefer are predicted to increase in the coming week, is one of the busiest river ports on the Tennessee River. 
• Decatur is home to two leading poultry processing companies, Gemstone Foods and Wayne Farms.  
• Demand for flatbed capacity in Allentown, Pa., is currently three times as high as it was at this time last year.

FreightWaves SONAR Insights

Trucker Tools has teamed up with FreightWaves to provide you with even more information on which markets will favor carriers and drivers. FreightWaves today is reporting that the national average for reefer outbound tender rejections rates has gone down to 41 percent. Even though that represents a decrease, it means that four out of every 10 loads are being refused by drivers and carriers. FreightWaves SONAR Daily Outlook also is reporting that shippers in Little Rock, Tifton, Savannah, Fayetteville, Twin Falls, Omaha and Jacksonville report rejection rates over 60 percent. 

SONAR Hot Lanes for Truckers

Reefer capacity has tightened in the Little Rock market, where reefer rejection rates are up over 70 percent. If you’re running Little Rock to Indianapolis, the SONAR Daily Watch recommends that you search the spot market instead of accepting contracted rates out of Little Rock. Indianapolis also is a strong market, which is why this lane is one of the best for drivers and carriers. Houston to Chicago remains a strong market for carriers, as well. An imbalance between outbound and inbound volume will help drive rates upward for that lane in the coming week.

Trucker Tools’ Market Index Report is published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Read Trucker Tools’ previous Market Index Report, Hottest Markets for Truckers: Indianapolis, Jonesboro, Montreal and Allentown, to find out about other lanes that will be hot and cold in the coming week. To download Trucker Tools’ free driver app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.