U.S. Bank and DAT: Contract and spot truck freight rates diverge

Contract rates moved higher through August while spot rates retreated from June levels

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The latest quarterly U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index – Rates Edition showed contract and spot rates following different paths from June through August. Produced in collaboration with DAT Freight & Analytics, the report showed contract rates increasing while spot rates moderated from their June level.

Dry van spot rates decreased from $2.38 per mile in June to $2.35 in July and $2.17 in August. Contract rates moved higher during the same period, rising from $2.30 per mile in June to $2.38 in July and $2.39 in August. By August, contract rates carried a premium of roughly $0.22 per mile over spot freight.

Fuel costs also played a growing role in overall transportation spending. Average fuel surcharge rates increased from $0.62 per mile in June to $0.70 in August, elevating total freight costs even as spot linehaul pricing softened.

“Fuel costs are increasing while linehaul pricing is softening, making it important for transportation teams to closely analyze the components of their freight spend,” said Jeff Pape, head of transportation for U.S. Bank Corporate Payment Systems.

“Fuel made up about 21% of the per-mile broker-to-shipper spot rate on dry van loads in June,” said Patrick Pretorius, General Manager Shipper Segment, DAT. “By August, it was 24%, and diesel is trending higher into the fall. Higher fuel costs push smaller, thinner-margin carriers out of the market, which adds to an already shrinking driver pool. Shippers who've spent two years squeezing rate per mile would do well to shift focus to consolidation and network planning, as the market is tightening from two directions at once.”

The Rates Edition, launched in January 2026, complements the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, which the bank has published quarterly since 2017. The Index measures quantitative changes in freight shipments and spend activity based on data from transactions processed through U.S. Bank Freight Payment, which processes more than $46 billion in freight payments annually.

About U.S. Bank Freight Payment

For more than 25 years, U.S. Bank Freight Payment has been a trusted steward between shippers and carriers—protecting capital flow, payment accuracy, data integrity and relationships with bank-grade standards. We audit invoices line-by-line, pay securely and on time, and deliver clean, decision-grade reporting, with $46 billion in freight payments processed annually. We keep innovating—advancing automation, analytics and workflows that turn freight spend into action. Our experts lean in to resolve issues and optimize working capital—reducing friction, extending terms and moving supply chains forward with clarity, confidence and certainty. Learn more here.

About DAT Freight & Analytics

DAT Freight & Analytics operates DAT One, North America’s largest truckload freight marketplace; Convoy Platform, an automated freight-matching technology; DAT iQ, the industry’s leading freight data analytics service; Trucker Tools, the leader in load visibility; and Outgo, the freight financial services platform. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations, and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights, informed by nearly 700,000 daily load posts and a database of more than $1 trillion in freight market transactions. Founded in 1978, DAT is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, DAT continues to set the standard for innovation in the trucking and logistics industry. Learn more at: https://www.dat.com/.