# U.S. freight costs continue upward climb | 2018-10-31  | World Grain

> Trucker and rail worker shortages continue to drive up U.S. freight costs, with diesel prices up about 19% year over year. Barge freight rates have risen sharply on high water and lock repairs, and bulk ocean freight has also increased. Hurricane Florence briefly disrupted East Coast logistics.

- Date: 2018-10-31 · published 2018-10-31T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/62425-u-s-freight-costs-continue-upward-climb-2018-10-31-world-grain
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md), [ULSD / Diesel](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DIESEL.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Higher transport costs widen the basis for feed grains delivered to buyers and can cut the farm-gate price of corn and soybeans while raising delivered feed costs.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲
- DIESEL: bullish ▲
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DIESEL | 2026-08-04 | [Record Grain Movement Meets Rising Harvest Freight Costs - RFD](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18086-record-grain-movement-meets-rising-harvest-freight-costs-rfd.md) | +5.6% | +11.0% |
| DIESEL | 2022-04-25 | [Grain industry continues to face logistical challenges \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41748-grain-industry-continues-to-face-logistical-challenges-world-grain.md) | +17.0% | -3.7% |
| DIESEL | 2022-03-17 | [U.S. Grain Barge Freight Rates Skyrocket \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42461-u-s-grain-barge-freight-rates-skyrocket-feed-and-grain.md) | +32.3% | +20.2% |
| DIESEL | 2026-10-22 | [Record diesel costs push grain freight rates higher across all modes \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17227-record-diesel-costs-push-grain-freight-rates-higher-across-all-modes-feed-and.md) | -5.5% | — |
| DIESEL | 2019-02-08 | [Port Report: Coastal shift in U.S. container trade might be in cards for 2020 - FreightWaves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60490-port-report-coastal-shift-in-u-s-container-trade-might-be-in-cards-for-2020.md) | +3.8% | +5.3% |
| CORN | 2024-01-05 | [US Gulf shipping costs climb for corn, soy \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16574-us-gulf-shipping-costs-climb-for-corn-soy-world-grain.md) | -1.5% | -2.4% |
| CORN | 2026-10-22 | [Rising Ocean Freight Raises Costs for U.S. Grain - RFD-TV](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17245-rising-ocean-freight-raises-costs-for-u-s-grain-rfd-tv.md) | -1.2% | — |
| CORN | 2024-05-20 | [Handysize freight rates continue to fall \| Ukrainian and World Shipping News - Ukrainian Shipping Magazine - Ukrainian and World Shipping News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/30457-handysize-freight-rates-continue-to-fall-ukrainian-and-world-shipping-news.md) | +1.9% | +5.4% |

## Sources

- world-grain.com: https://www.world-grain.com/articles/11174-us-freight-costs-continue-upward-climb

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.