{
  "id": 3610704,
  "title": "Reefer Rejections Stay Hot as Intermodal Wins 33%",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/reefer-rejections-stay-hot-as-intermodal-wins-33",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-26T22:37:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "FreightWaves",
    "slug": "freightwaves",
    "url": "https://www.freightwaves.com/news/reefer-rejections-stay-hot-as-intermodal-wins-33"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Reefer tender rejection rates remain high, while van and flatbed rejections are cooling off. The main driver of this trend is a 33% intermodal savings gap, which is attracting more freight away from road transport and keeping refrigerated freight less adaptable. In the SONAR Daily Update, FreightWaves discusses reefer rejection patterns, flatbed seasonality, rail container volume strength, and the implications of mode conversion heading into Labor Day. #ReeferFreight #Intermodal #TenderRejections Refrigerated tender rejection rates persist at 20% to 20.5%, staying higher than other truckload modes even as van and flatbed rejections drop. This is partly because of summer temperatures increasing demand for temperature-controlled capacity, but FreightWaves' sources see a bigger structural issue: refrigerated trailers cannot easily switch to intermodal. Unlike dry van freight, reefer loads need specialized refrigerated containers that run constantly, so mode switching is not an option to alleviate pressure. “Refrigerated is the least fungible mode with intermodal,” said one expert. Meanwhile, the intermodal contract savings index is at a three-year high of 33% above trucking costs, pushing record outbound rail container volumes. The cross-border rail data from U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico routes is being watched as early indicators of potential tariff-driven trade shifts, though current information is not conclusive.",
  "summary": "Reefer tender rejections are still running hot while van and flatbed cool off. The big swing factor: intermodal savings are now around 33%, pulling more freight off the road while refrigerated freight stays less flexible. In this SONAR Daily Update, FreightWaves breaks down reefer rejection trends, flatbed seasonality, rail container volume strength and what mode […] The post Reefer Rejections…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}