From Yahoo Finance: 2025-05-25 00:30:00

Tender rejection rates for truckload shipments originating in the Southeast surpassed 10% last week, marking the first time in nearly three years they’ve reached that level. In contrast, rejection rates for freight departing the West Coast remain well below the national average and are the lowest among major U.S. regions.

Demand remains higher in the East, with some carriers gravitating toward the West Coast due to operational advantages. Rates in major Southern California lanes are at or above $3 per mile, offering higher margins per load out West even with lower demand.

Intermodal is a cost-effective alternative to trucking, serving as mobile storage in an environment of shrinking warehouse capacity. The East-West truckload rejection rate disparity can be explained in part by the shift to intermodal and lack of transcontinental freight for carriers operating out West.

Loaded container volumes moving by rail out of Los Angeles remain up year over year, while long-haul tender volumes out of Los Angeles are down 26% annually. Intermodal captures a large share from the truckload sector, providing flexibility in moving freight across the country.

Tender data shows tightening markets in Savannah, Jacksonville, and Houston, influenced by maritime freight. The East Coast saw a wave of import pull-forward activity in April, straining capacity and making the truckload sector more reactive and volatile.

Read more: Carriers have a West Coast bias