As of mid-2026, the going rate for hauling freight sits between $2.01 and $2.35 per mile for full truckload spot rates, depending on the trailer type and lane. Contract rates are running slightly higher at roughly $2.12 per mile nationally for dry van. These numbers are up from the $1.65 per mile floor we hit in November 2025, but they still trail pre-pandemic highs by a wide margin.
If you are an owner-operator shopping loads or a company driver wondering whether your dispatcher is lowballing you, this breakdown covers the going rate for hauling freight by type, region, and market context so you know exactly where the money stands heading into summer 2026.
Rates by Freight Type: Dry Van, Reefer, Flatbed, LTL
Not all trailers earn the same. Here is where national averages sit right now.
Dry Van
Spot rates: $2.01/mile
Contract rates: $2.12/mile
Dry van is the baseline for everything in trucking. It is the most common trailer, the most available freight, and the most competitive lane. If you are pulling dry van on spot loads, you should be targeting $2.00 or above to keep your head above water after fuel, insurance, and maintenance.
Reefer (Refrigerated)
Spot rates: $2.28/mile
Contract rates: $2.35/mile
Reefer commands a premium because the equipment costs more to buy, maintain, and fuel. You are burning diesel for the reefer unit on top of the truck itself. Produce season (April through September) tends to push these rates higher, especially out of California, Florida, and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
Flatbed
Spot rates: $2.35/mile
Contract rates: $2.40/mile
Flatbed pays the most per mile but comes with the hardest work. Tarping, strapping, and dealing with oversize loads is physically demanding and eats into your clock. The premium reflects that reality. Construction activity and steel demand are the biggest rate drivers for flatbed freight.
LTL (Less Than Truckload)
LTL pricing works differently. It is quoted per hundredweight (CWT) or per pallet rather than per mile. Average LTL rates are running $18 to $25 per hundredweight nationally, with significant variation based on freight class, density, and lane. For context, a standard two-pallet LTL shipment going 500 miles might cost the shipper $400 to $700. LTL carriers have held rates more firmly than truckload carriers throughout this downturn because they have more pricing power through their terminal networks.
Regional Rate Variation: Where the Money Is (and Where It Is Not)
National averages are useful as a benchmark, but nobody hauls freight “nationally.” You haul specific lanes, and some pay dramatically better than others.
High-rate corridors (headhaul lanes):
Los Angeles to Dallas: $2.45 to $2.70/mile (dry van)
Miami to Atlanta: $2.30 to $2.55/mile
Chicago to the Northeast: $2.20 to $2.50/mile
Low-rate corridors (backhaul lanes):
Dallas to Los Angeles: $1.40 to $1.65/mile
Atlanta to Miami: $1.50 to $1.75/mile
The difference between headhaul and backhaul can be a full dollar per mile on the same lane in reverse. Smart owner-operators plan round trips, not one-way loads. If you are deadheading back empty, you are subsidizing the outbound rate with unpaid miles.
Regional sweet spots right now:
The Southeast is seeing stronger rates than usual thanks to continued warehouse and manufacturing buildout across Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. The upper Midwest remains soft outside of ag season. The Texas triangle (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio) is active but competitive due to carrier density.
Why Rates Are Moving: Supply Squeeze, Not Demand Recovery
Here is the part most freight market coverage gets wrong.
Rates climbed from $1.65 in November to $2.01 by February. That looks like recovery. It is not. Freight demand is still running 6 to 7 percent below year-ago levels. Shippers are not suddenly moving more product. The volume is not there.
What happened is that carriers left the market. The 2023 to 2025 freight recession forced thousands of small fleets and owner-operators out of business. FMCSA data shows a net loss of roughly 35,000 carrier authorities since the 2022 peak. Insurance costs went up. Equipment costs went up. And rates stayed below breakeven for so long that the weakest operators ran out of runway.
Fewer trucks chasing the same (or slightly less) freight equals higher rates per truck. That is a supply-side squeeze. It is real, and it is putting more money on the rate sheets. But it is fragile. Any meaningful recovery in freight demand would push rates higher and faster than most people expect, because the capacity to absorb it is gone.
The flip side: if the economy weakens further and freight volumes drop another 5 to 10 percent, rates will flatten or dip again because the remaining carriers will undercut each other to keep trucks moving.
What Drivers and Owner-Operators Should Negotiate For
If you are an owner-operator or a company driver paid on percentage, here is what the current market means for your wallet.
Owner-operators: Your all-in operating cost is probably $1.50 to $1.75 per mile (truck payment, insurance, fuel, maintenance, permits, tolls). At current spot rates of $2.01 for dry van, your margin is thin. You need to be selective about lanes and aggressive about rate negotiation. Do not take loads under $2.00/mile unless you are repositioning for a better-paying load on the other end.
Target rates for sustainability:
Dry van: $2.15+ per mile
Reefer: $2.40+ per mile
Flatbed: $2.50+ per mile
Those numbers give you a livable margin after expenses. Anything below them and you are trading your time and equipment for near-zero profit.
Company drivers: If you are paid CPM (cents per mile), the national average for experienced OTR company drivers is running 58 to 68 CPM in 2026. Regional drivers are seeing 55 to 65 CPM with more home time. If your carrier is offering less than 55 CPM for OTR dry van, the market says you can do better.
If you are paid percentage, 25 to 28 percent of linehaul is the standard range. Push for the higher end. With rates climbing, percentage pay becomes more attractive than flat CPM.
Fuel Surcharges and Accessorials: The Hidden Rate Components
The per-mile rate is not the whole picture. Fuel surcharges currently add $0.40 to $0.55 per mile on top of the linehaul rate. That matters because fuel surcharges are supposed to offset your actual fuel costs, but they do not always track perfectly. When diesel prices spike, the surcharge lags behind. When prices drop, carriers sometimes pocket the difference.
Accessorials also matter. Detention pay ($50 to $75 per hour after two hours free time), lumper fees ($150 to $350 per stop), TONU (truck order not used, $150 to $250), and layover pay ($100 to $200 per day) should all be negotiated upfront. If a broker or shipper will not agree to detention pay in writing, that is a red flag about how they treat their loading docks and your time.
Where Rates Go From Here
The freight market is in a weird middle ground. Not a recession anymore, but not a boom. The carriers who survived the downturn are in a stronger negotiating position, and rates should hold or drift slightly higher through the rest of 2026 as long as the economy does not fall off a cliff.
Watch three things:
Tender rejection rates: When these climb above 8 to 10 percent, it means carriers have enough freight to be picky. That pushes spot rates up. They are currently around 6 to 7 percent, which is neutral.
Diesel prices: Fuel is the wildcard. A sudden spike changes the math overnight.
New carrier entries: If rates stay above $2.00, new operators will re-enter the market. That caps how high rates can go without a demand surge.
The bottom line: the going rate for hauling freight in 2026 is better than it was six months ago, but this is not a gold rush. Protect your margins, be smart about your lanes, and do not overextend on equipment purchases until demand actually recovers.
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