# Intermodal rates coming in hot this fall; mostly fuel driven

> Intermodal contract rates including fuel surcharges rose more than 12% year over year on transcontinental lanes and nearly 9% on shorter Eastern lanes. The analysis attributes roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of those increases to diesel costs, with the remaining increases about 5% and 2%, respectively, after excluding fuel.

- Date: 2026-11-08 · published 2026-11-08T03:08:33.996Z
- Category: logistics · region United States · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/86907-intermodal-rates-coming-in-hot-this-fall-mostly-fuel-driven
- Commodities: [ULSD / Diesel](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DIESEL.md)

## Why it matters

Higher diesel costs are feeding through into intermodal freight contracts, raising transportation costs for shippers and potentially increasing delivered costs for feed and grain. The story points to continued upward pressure on diesel-related freight expenses.

## Read by commodity

- DIESEL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DIESEL | 2021-07-11 | [Fuel costs push rates higher faster in 2021 - FreightWaves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46244-fuel-costs-push-rates-higher-faster-in-2021-freightwaves.md) | -2.1% | -3.4% |
| DIESEL | 2026-02-25 | [Fuel prices surge, but rates holding strong \| Overdrive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20779-fuel-prices-surge-but-rates-holding-strong-overdrive.md) | +17.3% | +54.9% |
| DIESEL | 2017-09-16 | [In the hurricanes' wake: Fuel, nitrogen… \| PB Commercial](https://feedsoft.ai/events/69269-in-the-hurricanes-wake-fuel-nitrogen-pb-commercial.md) | +1.0% | -0.1% |
| 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 | 2017-10-31 | [Truckload Linehaul, Intermodal Pricing Jump at Least 4% \| Heavy Duty Trucking](https://feedsoft.ai/events/68647-truckload-linehaul-intermodal-pricing-jump-at-least-4-heavy-duty-trucking.md) | +3.2% | +3.6% |

## Sources

- freightwaves.com: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/intermodal-rates-coming-in-hot-this-fall-mostly-fuel-driven

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