Where’s the Freight? Rapid City, Texarkana, Gary, Lubbock and Dodge City Top Markets for Truckers and Carriers in Coming Week

Welcome to your mid-week edition of Where’s the Freight?,” Trucker Tools’ free freight forecast for owner operators and carriers that tells you where demand and rates are likely to be high and low across North America in the coming week.

In this Wednesday edition of “Where’s the Freight?,” three of the markets in our Top Five Hottest Markets list are flatbed markets, with one flatbed market in the Midwest projected to be the highest demand/rate market in North America this week. Though flatbed demand has tapered off in most markets in recent months, demand for flatbed capacity remains high for this time of year. In the coming week, Gary, Ind., will remain a hot spot for dry van, with demand expected to be three times higher than it was during the same week in 2020. If you’re running reefer, you’ll want to make Tucson, Ariz., a priority, as reefer demand is expected to increase significantly over the next five to seven days.

For additional insights into where demand and rates will be highest and lowest this week, scroll down to read the rest of this Wednesday edition of Trucker Tools’ “Where’s the Freight?”

Where Demand and Rates Are Likely To Be High or Rising

• Demand for flatbed capacity over the next five to seven day period will be high for Rapid City, S.D., Texarkana, Texas, and Lubbock, Texas. Flatbed demand is expected to increase this week for Southwestern Ontario.
• Dodge City, Kan., is projected to be the highest demand/highest rate reefer market in North America this week. Look for reefer demand to rise this week for Tucson, Ariz., and Spokane, Wash.
• In the coming week, power only demand is projected to increase for Nashville, Tenn.
• Once again, Gary, Ind., will be the top dry van market for truckers and carriers over the next five to seven days. You also can expect dry van demand/rates to increase in the coming week for Huntington, W.Va.

Where Demand and Rates Are Likely To Be Low or Falling

• You can expect extremely low demand for flatbed capacity to/from Montreal, Quebec, in the coming week.
• Hartford, Conn., and Cheyenne, Wyo., will be the least profitable reefer markets for truckers and carriers this week.
• This week, Brooklyn, N.Y., will see extremely low demand/rates for power only capacity.
• Calgary, Alberta, once again is projected to be the lowest demand/lowest rate dry van market in North America over the next five to seven day period.

Trucker Tools’ Market Insights

• The latest Trucker Tools data projects that the five most profitable markets for truckers and carriers this week will be: 1. Rapid City, S.D. (flatbed), 2. Texarkana, Texas (flatbed), 3. Gary, Ind. (dry van), 4. Lubbock, Texas (flatbed), and 5. Dodge City, Kan. (reefer).
• This week, the five least profitable markets for truckers and carriers will be: 1. Calgary, Alberta (dry van), 2. Hartford, Conn. (reefer), 3. Montreal, Quebec (flatbed), 4. Brooklyn, N.Y. (power only), and 5. Cheyenne, Wyo. (reefer).
• The Gary, Ind., flatbed market will continue to favor truckers and carriers by a ratio of more than two to one this week, meaning for each flatbed trailer going into or out of the area, it’s likely that two loads will be available.
• The latest Daily Market Update from FreightWaves indicates that national outbound tender rejections and volumes are down.
• Today’s U.S.D.A. Specialty Crops National Truck Rate Report shows produce capacity shortages in the following areas: San Luis Valley Colorado, Idaho and Malheur County region, Upper Valley and Twin Falls-Burley District Idaho, Minnesota-North Dakota (Red River Valley), New York state, Eastern North Carolina, Columbia Basin Washington state, Yakima Valley and Wenatchee District Washington state, and Central Wisconsin.
• Over the next two days, storms stretching from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast could cause hail and severe winds across Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.
• Domestic steel production has risen this year, increasing demand for flatbed capacity across the United States.

Be sure to check out the previous edition of our free freight forecast for truckers and carriers, Where’s the Freight? Tucson, Texarkana, Southwestern Ontario and Gary Projected To Be Best Markets for Truckers and Carriers This Week.  To download the Trucker Tools app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.