# Spot Rates Up 50%, Rail Volumes at Highs

> US truckload spot rates rose 52% year over year to $3.56 per mile, while contract rates climbed 25% to $2.88 per mile, according to FreightWaves SONAR data. The SONAR Intermodal Cost Savings Index showed rail offering a 30.2% cost advantage over truck as of November 8. Intermodal contract rates rose only 3% to 5% year over year.

- Date: 2026-11-11 · published 2026-11-12T00:11:39.115Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/94385-spot-rates-up-50-rail-volumes-at-highs
- Commodities: [ULSD / Diesel](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DIESEL.md)

## Why it matters

Tight truck capacity and a wide road-to-rail savings gap push shippers toward rail, which supports rail volumes for grain and feed movements. Higher trucking costs raise delivered feed prices for buyers far from rail lines.

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DIESEL | 2017-03-09 | [Spot Truckload Rates And Loads Up \| Go By Truck Global News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/72187-spot-truckload-rates-and-loads-up-go-by-truck-global-news.md) | -2.7% | +2.9% |
| DIESEL | 2026-09-28 | [Diesel Up 10 Cents, Spot Rates Up 2: Margin Squeeze](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17658-diesel-up-10-cents-spot-rates-up-2-margin-squeeze.md) | -4.7% | +5.3% |
| DIESEL | 2017-02-02 | [Despite seasonal volume, spot freight shows vigor \| FleetOwner](https://feedsoft.ai/events/72665-despite-seasonal-volume-spot-freight-shows-vigor-fleetowner.md) | -2.4% | -5.4% |
| 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 | 2017-07-21 | [Trans-Pac spot rates await peak season bounce \| Journal of Commerce](https://feedsoft.ai/events/69841-trans-pac-spot-rates-await-peak-season-bounce-journal-of-commerce.md) | +3.8% | +2.1% |

## Sources

- freightwaves.com: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/spot-rates-up-50-rail-volumes-at-highs

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