Hottest and Coldest Markets for Truckers: Lexington, Baltimore, Reno and San Antonio

In today’s Trucker Tools Market Index Report, you’ll see some new names on our hot and cold markets list, as well as some familiar faces. For the eighth consecutive week in a row, Tucson, Ariz., will remain the hottest reefer market in the country for those of you who pull refrigerated freight. Wheeling, W. Va., today makes its first appearance in a Trucker Tools Market Index Report as the least desirable market for flatbed truckers in the next five to seven day period. Overall, though, freight volumes remain high for this time of year as online retail continues its boom and manufacturing starts to pick up speed in replenishing inventories.

Where Rates, Demand Will Be High or Rising

• Lexington, Ky., Cheyenne, Wyo., and Jonesboro, Ark., will be three of the hottest markets for flatbed in the coming week. Flatbed demand will be rising this week for Southwest Ontario (Canada), South Bend, Ind., and Buffalo, N.Y.
• Tucson, Ariz., continues to be the hottest market in the country for reefer. 
• Jacksonville, Fla., will continue to be one of the best markets in the country for truckers for power only this week. Power only demand/rates will be going up over the next five to seven days for Baltimore and Fresno, Calif.

Where Rates, Demand Will Be Low or Falling

• Wheeling, W. Va., will be one of the coldest flatbed markets for truckers in the coming week. Demand for flatbed will fall slightly this week for Rapid City, S.D.
• Hartford, Conn., and Reno, Nev., will be two of the coldest reefer markets this week. 
• Rates and demand for van capacity in and out of Minot, N.D., are expected to drop over the next five to seven days.
• Demand and rates for power only capacity will be low this week for San Antonio. Also expectpower onlydemand/rates to fall in the coming week for Austin, Texas.

Trucker Tools’ Market Insights

• Demand for flatbed trucks in and out of Lexington, Ky., currently is four times what it was at this time last year. 
• The Jacksonville, Fla., power only market will be one of the hottest markets in the country this week.
• After a brief elevation in mid-January, demand for power only for San Antonio has dropped dramatically.
• Tucson, Ariz., has been one of the hottest reefer markets in the country for the last eight weeks in a row. 

FreightWaves SONAR Market Insights

Trucker Tools is partnering with FreightWaves to give you even more insights into which areas to target or avoid in the next five to seven days. FreightWaves SONAR today is reporting that Los Angeles, Ontario, Dallas, Memphis, Milwaukee, Toledo and Elizabeth all are markets that you should seek out this week. FreightWaves SONAR is reporting that rates will likely drop in the coming week for Lakeland, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Phoenix. 

FreightWaves SONAR’s Hot Lanes for Truckers

FreightWaves’ Daily Outlook advises carriers who typically run Kansas City to Los Angeles to consider destinations in the middle of the country instead of L.A. to maximize revenue. If Cleveland to Atlanta is one of your preferred lanes, stay firm on your rates this week because capacity will be tightening coming out of Cleveland. Demand for capacity is expected to decline for Dallas in the next week. If Dallas to Lakeland is one of your usual lanes, you can expect rates to be much lower than the national average. 

For more information on which markets will favor drivers and carriers in the coming week, check out our previous Market Index Report, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Wilmington and Grand Junction Hot Markets for Truckers in the Next Five to Seven Days. To download Trucker Tools’ free driver app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/web/carriers/.