Trucking News · Nationwide · November 15, 2026

Truck Freight Prices Rose 3.9% in October and Are Up Almost 25% in a Year, Even as Wholesale Diesel Fell

By Big Rig Daily Staff

The price of shipping freight by truck rose 3.9% in October and is up almost 25% from a year earlier, according to the government's latest wholesale price report, the biggest yearly jump since May 2022.

The numbers

The Labor Department's producer price index measures the prices businesses receive for goods and services before they reach store shelves. In October, prices for freight shipped by truck jumped 3.9%, The Trucker reported in an Associated Press story. Axios reported that the October rise followed a similar increase the month before and that truck transportation costs are up almost 25% from a year earlier, the largest annual increase since May 2022.

Wholesale diesel prices dropped 7.9% from September to October, the AP reported. Freight prices kept rising anyway. Axios noted that the costs built up over recent months were still showing up across the supply chain.

Food and the shelf

Wholesale food prices rose 1.3% in October. "Food, like most goods, is mostly shipped by truck," the AP noted.

Overall, the producer price index rose 0.3% in October, down from a 1.4% jump in September. Compared with a year earlier, it was up 6.5%, the biggest increase since November 2022, the government said.

Axios also pointed to a regulatory crackdown affecting immigrant truck drivers as another factor pushing up freight rates.

What analysts are saying

"Costs for food and transportation climbed sharply as high fuel prices flow into other parts of the economy," Ben Ayers, senior economist at Nationwide, wrote in a note quoted by the AP.

Richard de Chazal, an analyst at William Blair, wrote in a note quoted by Axios that what carriers charge to move and store consumer goods has risen nearly four times as fast as retailers' and wholesalers' markups over the past year.

What it means for carriers

Higher freight prices do not automatically mean higher profits. Trucking companies are also paying more for fuel, insurance and repairs. Owner-operators, truck drivers who own their own rig and run their own business, can check whether a load pays enough with the trucking load rate calculator.

Quick facts

• Truck freight prices: up 3.9% in October.
• From a year earlier: up almost 25%, the largest yearly increase since May 2022.
• Wholesale diesel: down 7.9% from September to October.
• Wholesale food: up 1.3% in October.
• All wholesale prices: up 6.5% from a year ago.

FAQ

What is the producer price index?

It is a government measure of the prices businesses receive for goods and services, before those costs reach consumers. It is often called wholesale inflation.

A question for readers

If shipping prices are up almost 25%, is any of that showing up in truck drivers' paychecks?

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