Transfix Take Podcast | Week of Mar 25 - Volatility Continues as Fuel Drives Rates Up

As March comes to a close, the freight market is serving up volatility from every direction. In this week’s episode of The Transfix Take, Jenni Ruiz and NFI market expert Justin Maze unpack the diesel surge shaking the industry, with fuel jumping from $3.89 to $5.37 a gallon in just a few weeks, and what that means for shippers already bracing for higher costs. They dig into why linehaul rates dipped, then started creeping back up again, how tender rejections are hovering around 14.5%, and why flatbed is in a league of its own with rejection rates reaching as high as 50%. Jenni and Justin also break down the regional picture, from tightening in the Southeast and Texas to mixed signals in the Midwest, loosening in the Pacific Northwest, and a surprising shift in Southern California. Plus, they look ahead to April and explain why produce season, fuel pressure, spot market exposure, and even a rise in new carrier authority applications could make the next few weeks especially unpredictable. For shippers and brokers trying to protect margins without losing flexibility, this is the market read you need right now. -- Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Transfix, Inc. or any parent companies or affiliates or the companies with which the participants are affiliated, and may have been previously disseminated by them. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are based upon information considered reliable, but neither Transfix, Inc. nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. All such views and opinions are subject to change.