Trucking News · Nationwide · October 24, 2026

New Truckload Contracts Are Resetting About 13% Higher, Data Shows

Shippers signing new truckload contracts are paying noticeably more than they did on the deals those contracts replace. New contracts are resetting about 13% above prior rates, according to new indexes from FreightWaves' SONAR data service, as reported by FreightWaves.

SONAR released three new truckload data sets on Thursday, Oct. 22. FreightWaves says they measure what shippers pay providers, not carrier operating costs or broker margins.

Contract rates

The Contract Rate Change Direction index compares new contract base rates with the rates they replaced, filtering out any rate that was not stable for at least 90 days. According to FreightWaves:

• It currently reads 13.11%, up from about 4% last November.
• That is the highest reading since early 2022.
• It is nearly four times the five-year average of 3.47%.
• It peaked above 16% in early October before easing.

For comparison, FreightWaves' Julie Van de Kamp said the reading was about 4% at the same point in 2025, ranged from 3% to 6% in 2024, and was negative in 2023. She called this index the most significant of the three.

When the first carrier says no

Shippers send loads down a routing guide, a ranked list of carriers. When the first carrier turns a load down, it goes to the next one. According to FreightWaves:

• A load accepted on the second tender currently costs 9.25% more than on the first.
• A load accepted on the third tender or later costs 19.84% more.
• Third-plus tender premiums topped 35% in late December, early February and from June into early July.
• First-tender acceptance stands at 89.29%, down from about 93% last November.

"If your first tender acceptance is slipping faster than the national number, then there's a problem in your routing guide, not just with the market," Van de Kamp said.

What it means at the truck level

The figures describe what shippers pay, not what drivers take home. Drivers who want to see whether a given load works for them can test it with the free load rate checker. Big Rig Daily also covered Knight-Swift's plans for double-digit rate increases heading into bid season.

A question for readers

Shippers are paying about 13% more on new contracts.

Is any of that 13% showing up in your paycheck yet?

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