Carriers are raising rates despite a weakened industrial economy. The LTL rate-per-pound is expected to hit a record high in Q3, up 65.9% from January 2018. The index has increased for seven consecutive quarters, showing carrier pricing discipline and strategies to manage freight classification and pricing.

LTL shipment costs fell 2.9% y/y in Q2, but carriers maintained pricing. Weight per shipment was down 5.1% y/y. Sequentially, costs reduced by 1.6%, with a 3.6% increase in length of haul offsetting headwinds like weight per shipment and fuel surcharges.

LTL carriers are seeing y/y yield increases, but truckload data shows depressing trends. TL rate-per-mile is expected to decline in Q3, marking 10 straight quarters of low conditions. Trade and tariff uncertainty are hindering the truckload market’s recovery from a freight recession.

The LTL earnings season begins on July 25 with Saia reporting Q2 results. Truckload linehaul costs per shipment increased in Q2 due to more miles per shipment.ongoing trade and tariff uncertainty is hampering the truckload market’s recovery from the freight recession that started three years ago.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: LTL pricing index to hit record high in Q3