{
  "id": 3313372,
  "title": "Broker RXO sees TL spot rate surge extend into Q3",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/broker-rxo-sees-tl-spot-rate-surge-extend-into-q3",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-25T16:56:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "FreightWaves",
    "slug": "freightwaves",
    "url": "https://www.freightwaves.com/news/broker-rxo-sees-tl-spot-rate-surge-extending-through-q3"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Trucking brokerage firm RXO reported on Tuesday that its truckload spot rate index reached its greatest sequential increase in five years during the second quarter. This upward trend continued into the third quarter. According to the report, the index has not faced such high rate inflation since pandemic-era surges, with the second quarter achieving both the highest year-over-year reading and the largest sequential increase since the second quarter of 2021. RXO's Curve Report indicated that second-quarter spot rates climbed 32.4% year-over-year, a significant acceleration from the 16.5% year-over-year growth seen in the first quarter. As of the current third quarter, the index has risen 43% year-over-year. The National Truckload Index (NTIL), which tracks linehaul rates excluding fuel surcharges based on an average of 250,000 lanes, showed August rates continuing to be notably higher compared to the same period last year. RXO's vice president of pricing and procurement, Corey Klujsza, mentioned that shipper routing guides are experiencing heightened strain as spot rates have consistently surpassed contract rates this year, and this trend is expected to accelerate further into peak season. Despite being in an inflationary environment for over two years, the truckload market is starting to show notable differences. A persistent shortage of available capacity, resulting from stricter regulatory enforcement and years of subpar carrier economics, has significantly tightened the market even without a substantial demand increase. Jared Weisfeld, RXO's chief strategy officer, believes the inflationary rate environment will persist, even with reduced freight volumes, as carrier operating costs have risen by 29% (excluding fuel) from the previous peak cycle, indicating that rates still need to increase substantially to enhance carrier margins. RXO's all-in cost-per-mile index, which includes fuel surcharges, hit 154.9 in the second quarter, the highest level since the first quarter of 2022. Cass Information Systems data revealed that contract rates (excluding fuel and accessorial surcharges) increased by 6% year-over-year in the second quarter, marking a jump from the 2.4% average year-over-year growth in the first quarter. The Tender Rejection Index (OTRI), which serves as a proxy for truck capacity, indicated a tight truckload market in July, with the number of loads being rejected by carriers at a high level. Public truckload carriers reported substantial year-over-year contractual rate increases in the second quarter, driven by shipper concerns over legal liabilities related to non-compliant carriers and fears of carriers failing to meet capacity obligations during peak season. Some carriers, such as Schneider National, announced double-digit rate increases on contract renewals in the second quarter, while others like Werner Enterprises forecasted a 10% to 13% year-over-year increase in rate per mile for the third quarter. RXO sees \"a few reasons to be optimistic heading into this peak season,\" noting that retailers are still experiencing same-store sales growth and maintaining healthy inventories. If demand follows typical seasonality trends, RXO expects further rate volatility to conclude 2026.",
  "summary": "Freight broker RXO reported its truckload spot rate index posted its largest sequential gain in five years during the second quarter, with the strong momentum carrying into the third quarter. The post Broker RXO sees TL spot rate surge extend into Q3 appeared first on FreightWaves .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Finance",
        "title": "Broker RXO sees TL spot rate surge extend into Q3",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/broker-rxo-sees-tl-spot-rate-surge-extend-into-q3-3316540",
        "published": "2026-08-25T16:56:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}