Official data, computed here
Freight cost indices: what trucking prices, volume and jobs did
The producer price index for long-distance truckload trucking was 207.6 in August 2026, +13.9% on a year earlier and +42.1% against January 2021. Diesel, by the same yardstick, moved +134.7%. These are market-wide indexes. They tell you which way prices and volume drifted, not what your lane pays.
SnapshotFRED freight series and EIA dieselData period: monthly series through August 2026 (prices), July 2026 (freight volume), September 2026 (jobs)Retrieved Oct 9, 2026, 14:44 UTCretrieved Oct 9, 2026
Open data, retrieved Oct 9, 2026
Prices: trucking and diesel
All lines start at 100 in January 2021. Over the period diesel is ahead of the truckload price index by 92.6 index points on the latest data. If fuel outruns what carriers receive, margins are squeezed unless surcharges fill the gap.
- Long-distance truckload prices
- All truck transportation prices
- Diesel pump price
Data table behind the chart (every 6th month, index January 2021 = 100)
| Month | Long-distance truckload prices | All truck transportation prices | Diesel pump price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2021 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Jul 2021 | 109.5 | 108.0 | 124.6 |
| Jan 2022 | 135.7 | 122.5 | 138.9 |
| Jul 2022 | 139.6 | 133.2 | 204.7 |
| Jan 2023 | 128.1 | 125.9 | 170.7 |
| Jul 2023 | 122.3 | 120.3 | 144.8 |
| Jan 2024 | 122.5 | 121.4 | 143.8 |
| Jul 2024 | 130.1 | 126.1 | 142.1 |
| Jan 2025 | 124.3 | 124.3 | 135.6 |
| Jul 2025 | 123.8 | 125.0 | 141.0 |
| Jan 2026 | 124.1 | 126.4 | 131.4 |
| Jul 2026 | 139.5 | 137.8 | 184.9 |
| Sep 2026 | no data | no data | 234.7 |
Volume and jobs
The freight services volume index (BTS, seasonally adjusted) and employment in truck transportation (BLS, seasonally adjusted), same base month. Freight volume stood at 135.7 in July 2026 (-0.4% against January 2021); trucking employment at 1,473.1 thousand in September 2026 (-1.1%).
- Freight services volume
- Trucking jobs
Data table behind the chart (every 6th month, index January 2021 = 100)
| Month | Freight services volume | Trucking jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2021 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Jul 2021 | 97.6 | 101.8 |
| Jan 2022 | 100.9 | 104.6 |
| Jul 2022 | 100.6 | 106.6 |
| Jan 2023 | 101.4 | 106.6 |
| Jul 2023 | 101.1 | 105.2 |
| Jan 2024 | 99.3 | 102.9 |
| Jul 2024 | 100.8 | 101.1 |
| Jan 2025 | 101.2 | 100.3 |
| Jul 2025 | 101.7 | 99.6 |
| Jan 2026 | 100.1 | 98.4 |
| Jul 2026 | 99.6 | 98.5 |
| Sep 2026 | no data | 98.9 |
The numbers in one table
Click a heading to sort.
| Series | Latest month | Latest value | Same month a year earlier | Change in 12 months | Jan 2021 value | Change since Jan 2021 | Highest since Jan 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Producer Price Index by Industry: General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance Truckload Index Dec 2003=100; PCU484121484121 | Aug 2026 | 207.6 | 182.3 | +13.9% | 146.1 | +42.1% | 211.1 (Mar 2022) |
| Producer Price Index by Industry: Truck Transportation Index Dec 2003=100; PCU484484 | Aug 2026 | 213.3 | 191.1 | +11.6% | 151.8 | +40.5% | 213.3 (Aug 2026) |
| Diesel, U.S. retail, monthly mean of EIA weekly prices dollars per gallon; EIA weekly file | Sep 2026 | $6.291 | $3.748 | +67.8% | $2.681 | +134.7% | $6.291 (Sep 2026) |
| Freight Transportation Services Index Index 2000=100; TSIFRGHT | Jul 2026 | 135.7 | 138.5 | -2.0% | 136.2 | -0.4% | 139.3 (Mar 2026) |
| All Employees, Truck Transportation Thousands of Persons; CES4348400001 | Sep 2026 | 1,473.1 | 1,472.3 | +0.1% | 1,489.0 | -1.1% | 1,588.6 (Oct 2022) |
Units differ by row: price indexes use Dec 2003 = 100, freight volume uses 2000 = 100, employment is in thousands of persons, diesel is dollars per gallon. Changes are percentages, so they compare. Latest months: long-distance truckload prices August 2026, all truck transportation prices August 2026, freight services volume July 2026, trucking jobs September 2026.
How to read the charts
Start at 100
Every line is set to 100 in January 2021, so a line at 130 is 30% above its January 2021 level. This lets series with different units share one chart. It says nothing about which level is "right".
Compare slopes, not heights
If diesel climbs faster than the truckload price index, the price carriers receive has not kept up with fuel. That is a market-wide signal, not a statement about your rates.
Check the last point
The newest month is the first one to be revised. Read the latest value as provisional.
What this number means
- The truckload price index is -1.6% from its highest month since Jan 2021 (March 2022, 211.1). The all-trucking index is +0.0% from its high (August 2026).
- A producer price index follows the price producers receive for the same service over time. It is built to hold the service constant, so it is a good guide to direction and a poor guide to the price of one load.
- The freight services index counts freight moved across modes, not only trucks. It rises and falls with how much there is to haul, which affects who has pricing power.
- Employment in truck transportation counts jobs on payrolls. It leaves out owner-operators who are not on a payroll, so it understates the number of people driving.
What to do about it
- Put your own rate per mile for the same lane side by side with the price index for your last twelve months. If the index rose and your rate did not, that is the case to bring to your broker.
- Check each rate confirmation for a fuel surcharge line. Compare how the surcharge moved against the diesel line on the chart.
- Use the 12-month change as a sense check when a quote looks high or low, then ask for the lane-level numbers.
- Read the series date before you quote a number. The newest month can be revised.
Questions
Is this the rate I should get per mile?
No. A producer price index follows the change in prices over time for trucking services in general. It does not give a rate for a lane, a load type or a season.
Why is the base month 2021-01?
The charts need one common starting month so lines with different units can be compared. January 2021 is our choice for readability. It is not an official base: the published bases are shown in the table.
Why do the lines end in different months?
Each source publishes on its own schedule. The latest months are long-distance truckload prices August 2026, all truck transportation prices August 2026, freight services volume July 2026, trucking jobs September 2026. Nothing is filled in for missing months.
Is the diesel line the same as the FRED diesel series?
No. It is the monthly mean of the EIA weekly U.S. on-highway diesel retail prices already used on the diesel page.
Can I use this to forecast rates?
No. These are past values. Nothing on the page is a forecast.
Where the numbers come from
See what your last 20 loads show.
One short form. We reply by email with the next step, and a one-page report follows. Free, no obligation.
Mon-Fri, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Raleigh, NC). Voicemail is answered the next business day.