2026 Market Outlook | Freight Market Intelligence
Year-over-year spot rate growth is now the
floor across major equipment types
Per-mile van rate, an all-time high,
up from $3.02 in May
Brokered loads finished at a loss in June,
down from over 11% in May
By Circle Logistics • Published June 2026 • ~5-minute read
Executive Summary
At Circle, we track spot market rates closely enough to know the pattern usually peaks in June — and 2026 held true to form in spectacular fashion. We saw van rates hit an all-time high of $3.19 per mile, and the news wasn’t all bad for us as a broker this time: the share of our loads finishing at a loss declined, and our margins actually improved. Standard 53’ flatbeds and step decks outperformed van with large month-over-month gains in the lanes we run, and reefer rates edged higher as well. Gains like these tend to attract new entrants and new capacity, so if past patterns hold, we expect June to mark the high for the year.
On the customer pricing side, we pushed through rate increases of $0.20 per mile to shippers compared to $0.15 per mile we paid out to trucks — letting us claw back margin. The one soft spot we saw in June’s data was a pullback in import/export loads, an early signal to us that July numbers may not quite match June’s, though wildcards like Amazon’s “Xmas in July” promotion have juiced our July volumes in years past.
In this edition of The Circle Dispatch, we break down what drove June’s record-setting rates, why our broker margins improved even as prices climbed, and where we think shippers should focus heading into the back half of summer.
Key Findings
Van Rates set an all-time high
We priced van freight at $3.19/mile in June, up 5.6% month-over-month and 41.2% year-over-year, the seventh straight month of gains we’ve tracked in 2026.
Flatbed and step deck outperformed
Step deck jumped 7.5% M/M to $4.60/mile and flatbed rose 6.4% to $3.97/mile. Only RGN slipped, down 1.8% to $5.38/mile, still the highest rate per mile of any equipment type.
Clawed back margin
Losing loads fell to 8.6% of volume from over 11% in May, and the overall margin improved to 13.4% from 12.6% as the rates charged shippers outpaced what we paid trucks.
Cross-Border volume cooled
International shipments in our network fell 16.5% M/M to 641 loads after May’s rebound, a possible early signal to us of softer freight ahead — though July promotions remain a wildcard.
The Forces Behind the Numbers
Two months ago, we called out 30% year-over-year growth as remarkable. Now we’re seeing at least 41%, and rates out of historically soft regions, Colorado, Florida, Montana, and the Northeast, are starting to climb in our network too. Our LTL rates are up as well, with expedited shipments increasingly priced in truckload territory.
Our brokerage margins tell a more nuanced story by equipment type. We recovered flatbed margins to 16.6%, our best showing since January. Van margins climbed to 13.9% for us, the strongest in nine months, though still shy of what we’d consider normal. Our reefer margins remain tight at 10.1%. RGN loads dropped sharply for us in June, yet our margins on those loads jumped from 14.8% to 21.1% — a reminder that volume and margin don’t always move together on specialty equipment.
The macro backdrop remains unsettled from where we sit. Our team sees the ongoing situation with Iran as a continued drag on the broader economy, particularly through its effect on oil prices worldwide. If volumes soften in July, we expect margins to have room to improve further, since our shippers are now conditioned to expect rate hikes.
Download the Full June 2026 Report
Explore rate breakdowns by equipment type, quarterly comparisons, and outlook insights in our latest white paper: The Circle Dispatch: June 2026 Freight Market Report
About Circle Logistics
Circle Logistics is a technology-forward freight brokerage specializing in truckload, reefer, flatbed, and specialized equipment freight.
Powered by real-time market data and a performance-driven culture, Circle helps shippers and carriers navigate volatility with confidence.