Trucking News Roundup: Tender Rejections 14.32%, Capacity Exodus Early Innings, Diesel $6.29, Uber Freight Q4 Rate Warning (Sept 18, 2026)

National tender rejections hit 14.32% after Labor Day — Dallas included

FreightWaves issued a Market Alert on Sept. 17, 2026: the national Outbound Tender Rejection Index climbed to 14.32% in the days after Labor Day.

Analyst Zach Strickland called the move unusual — not a typical seasonal spike tied to storms or road-check weeks — because it showed up across virtually every major freight market. The Weighted Rejection Index lit up major hubs including Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and Harrisburg. Dry van rejections are the focal point; refrigerated rejections are rising with fall harvest demand; flatbed remains more subdued on weak housing. Strickland said tender rejections historically lead spot rates and warned shippers not to expect the usual post–Labor Day rate rollover — spot is already notching up.

What it means: Capacity is fragile and DFW lanes are in the same national squeeze. Shippers who need reliable dry van or reefer out of Melissa/DFW — get a quote. CDL-A company drivers and owner-operators — company drivers and owner-operators.

• Source: FreightWaves — Freight Market Alert: why U.S. tender rejections are skyrocketing

Schneider and Werner: capacity exodus still in the early innings

FreightWaves reported Sept. 17, 2026 that at Morgan Stanley's Laguna Conference, Schneider National CEO Jim Filter said the truckload capacity correction is still early. A year-long regulatory crackdown on noncompliant drivers, high diesel, and the broker-liability (Montgomery) environment are keeping trucks off the road.

Schneider's brokerage cut its approved carrier list from about 60,000 at the peak to about 14,000. Werner executives said the crunch may only be in the second or third inning and cited Texas Supreme Court guidance that hiring a reputable carrier met Home Depot's duty in a fatal-accident suit. Werner's outlook calls for a 10% to 13% year-over-year increase in one-way rate per total mile in Q3; dedicated is targeting 3% to 5% y/y revenue per truck per week for full-year 2026. Filter's line: with so much supply gone, Schneider does not necessarily need more demand — it needs capacity.

What it means: Asset-based carriers with clean paperwork win more tenders when broker lists shrink. Shippers — get a quote. Drivers and owner-operators who want a documented Class A seat — company drivers / owner-operators.

• Source: FreightWaves — Carriers: TL capacity exodus growing, not slowing

EIA diesel $6.29; spot carriers taking the hit

Transport Topics reported Sept. 17, 2026 that the U.S. Energy Information Administration put the national diesel average at $6.29 per gallon on Sept. 14 — up 68.1% from $3.74 a year earlier.

DAT principal analyst Dean Croke said large contract fleets are somewhat insulated, but spot-market carriers are getting crushed with thin cash flow and weak surcharge recovery. Croke warned diesel may keep climbing into harvest, winter heating, and refinery maintenance season, with refineries already near 97% utilization and reserves low. FTR's Eric Starks flagged inflation risk if high staple-goods prices persist; Michigan State's Jason Miller said companies are starting to treat the shock as lasting and pass more cost to consumers.

What it means: Price the whole lane, including fuel lag. Maas runs dry van and reefer FTL from Melissa/DFW — asset-based, never re-brokered — get a lane quote.

• Source: Transport Topics — Diesel price and trucking

Uber Freight: Q4 spot surge risk if demand accelerates

FreightWaves covered Uber Freight's Q3 Market Update on Sept. 11, 2026: national average dry van contract linehaul hit $2.39 per mile in July — up 18% from July 2025 — with the 13-cent June-to-July jump the largest on record for that month.

Dry van spot linehaul averaged $2.39 in July (+47% y/y) and later eased to about $2.21 for the week of Aug. 26 while still +35.6% y/y. As of Sept. 10, SONAR's Outbound Tender Rejection Index (STRI.USA) sat at 13.45%. Uber Freight estimates more than 48,000 noncompliant drivers exited the industry over the past year and Class 8 backlogs equal roughly nine months of production. CEO Rebecca Tinucci warned that waiting too long to lock capacity can cost more than acting early; September–October is the window to repair routing guides before a late-October peak.

What it means: Peak season planning started yesterday. Need DFW/Melissa trucks — get a quote. CDL-A hiring — company drivers / owner-operators.

• Source: FreightWaves — Uber Freight warns tight capacity could fuel Q4 freight rate surge

Rule watch: FMCSA fuel-hauler HOS waiver still in force

Reuters reported Sept. 17, 2026 that the administration's temporary 90-day hours-of-service relief for gasoline and diesel haulers remains the live federal fuel-supply response — up to 16 hours in a 24-hour window for eligible fuel drivers, with rest rules still required and conditional-rated carriers excluded.

This is not a blanket HOS change for dry van or reefer OTR. Carriers and drivers should keep reading FMCSA notices and not assume the waiver covers every load type.

What it means: Know which rules apply to your freight. Serious CDL-A applicants with valid Class A and DOT medical — company drivers / owner-operators.

• Source: Reuters — U.S. temporarily eases curb on working hours for fuel truck drivers

More news

• Trucking News Roundup: Texas I-30 Truck Parking Near DFW, J.B. Hunt $25M Driver Spend, Link Logistics DFW Warehouses, FleetCor $100M Fees, Intermodal Shift (Sept 19, 2026)
• Trucking News Roundup: FMCSA Fuel HOS Waiver, Diesel ~$6.31, J.B. Hunt Q3 Warning, DAT Weekly Van $2.20, ICE CDL Fraud Tipline (Sept 17, 2026)
• Trucking News Roundup: AAA Diesel $6.27 Record, DAT August Spot Pullback, C.H. Robinson 2027 Forecast, FMCSA CDL School List, Broker Liability Suit (Sept 16, 2026)