Newsroom
For Immediate Release
March 2026
Market Update
3 KEY TAKEAWAYS
During March, spot rates and contract rates remained inflated vs. last year. We continue to see capacity tightening and higher rejection rates across the U.S.
REJECTION REBOUND
- National rejection rates have surprised to the upside, rising back above 14% to start the week. This increase comes despite the absence of any major domestic distruptions, suggesting the shift is more structural than transitory.
FUEL VOLATILITY CONTINUES
- Fuel prices continued to rise sharply in March due to increased demand and geographical tensions. The national average diesel fuel price reached $5.38 with some regions seeing prices jump above $6 per gallon.
LABOR MARKET WEAKNESS
- The economy lost ~92,000 jobs in February as healthcare and education failed to support the figure for the first time in several months. Strike activity was cited as a major reason. The unemployment rate edged higher to 4.4%.
Seen & Heard at the 2026 Annual FSA Conference
The conversations at this year’s Food Shippers of America Conference highlighted something many in the industry are already sensing…food supply chains are entering a new phase.
5 Smart Tips for Shipping Produce in 2026
Produce shipping requires precision; you’re transporting perishable products with limited shelf life, tight delivery windows, and little tolerance for temperature fluctuations. As the freight market begins to shift in 2026 with regulatory pressure and capacity adjustments, for produce shippers the details matter.
2026 Market Forecast
2026 will mark the transition from a fragile, fraud-heavy freight recession to a tighter, risk-priced market where shippers who modernize their tech and compliance practices
