A semi truck pulling a dry van along a road

Freight markets

Freight moves because of ports, plants, harvests, holidays and weather. Knowing why is how a dispatcher finds the good loads and avoids the traps. Here's how we read the map.

From Bellerose to the lower 48.

We dispatch trucks in all 48 contiguous states. Pick a region, on the map or with the buttons, to see what moves there and how we plan it.
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NY · NJ · PA · MA · CT · RI · VT · NH · ME · MD · DE · VA · WV

Northeast & Mid-Atlantic

Our home market. TQS dispatches from Bellerose, at the edge of Queens.

What moves
Retail and consumer goods off the Port of New York and New Jersey, food and beverage distribution, pharmaceuticals and final-mile delivery into the most crowded metro areas in the country.
Hubs
North Jersey and the I-95 warehouse belt · Lehigh Valley, PA · Harrisburg and the I-81 corridor · Baltimore
Equipment in demand
Dry vanReeferBox truck
How we plan it
A consumer-heavy market: a lot of freight comes in to feed the cities. Docks are tight, appointment windows are strict, and tolls and traffic belong in the rate before you say yes.

The year, as freight sees it.

Freight has seasons. Produce, building, the holiday rush, storms and inspection week all shift where the loads are and what they pay.
Seasonal freight patterns by month. Light bars mean building demand, dark bars mean peak.
SeasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
ProduceReeferMar: buildingApr: peakMay: peakJun: peakJul: peakAug: building
ConstructionFlatbed / step deckMar: buildingApr: buildingMay: peakJun: peakJul: peakAug: peakSep: peakOct: building
Retail peakDry van / box truckAug: buildingSep: peakOct: peakNov: peakDec: building
HarvestDry van / hopperSep: peakOct: peakNov: peak
Hurricane seasonGulf & SoutheastJun: buildingJul: buildingAug: peakSep: peakOct: peakNov: building
Winter weatherNorth & mountainsJan: peakFeb: peakMar: buildingNov: buildingDec: peak
RoadcheckEvery equipmentMay: peak
Building demandPeak
Produce
Florida, Texas and Arizona early; California, the Southeast and the Midwest later.
Construction
Building materials, steel and equipment move with the building season.
Retail peak
Stores stock up for the holidays; December turns into final-mile and expedited.
Harvest
Grain and agricultural freight across the Plains and Midwest.
Hurricane season
Storms can shut lanes and then spike demand for relief and rebuild loads.
Winter weather
Closed passes and chain laws slow freight; protect-from-freeze loads go to reefers.
Roadcheck
CVSA's 72-hour inspection blitz, usually in May. Many trucks sit out, so capacity tightens.

General seasonal patterns. Exact timing shifts every year and by region; your dispatcher watches the current market.

The rate is only half the load.

Every market either ships more than it receives, or the other way around. That decides what a load into it is really worth.

Outbound markets

Where freight starts.

Ports, manufacturing and big distribution hubs ship more than they receive. Trucks find reloads quickly, so rates out of these markets are competitive but steady.

  • Southern California
  • Chicago
  • Dallas–Fort Worth
  • Atlanta
  • Laredo
  • Columbus

Inbound markets

Where freight ends up.

Consumer-heavy areas take in far more than they ship out. Loads in often pay a premium, because the truck may run empty to get back out.

  • Florida
  • New England
  • New York City metro
  • The Mountain West

Load A · into an inbound market

$3.10

per loaded mile

1,000 loaded miles, then 250 empty to the next pickup.

What load A really pays

$2.48

per total mile

$3,100 ÷ 1,250 miles. The deadhead costs real money.

Load B · out of a hub

$2.65

per total mile

A lower posted rate with a reload 20 miles away can be the better load.

Illustrative example, not a rate quote. Lane balance changes with the season and the market.

How we use market data

  1. Plan the week, not the load

    Before you head into an inbound market, we already know how you're getting out of it.

  2. Price the season

    When produce, peak season or a storm tightens capacity, we push the rate. When the market softens, we protect your minimum.

  3. Match the region to your rig

    Hotshots go where the oilfield and construction work is. Reefers follow the harvest. Box trucks stay where final-mile freight is dense.

  4. Count every mile

    We judge loads by what they pay per total mile, deadhead included. A high posted rate into a dead market can lose to a modest one out of a hub.

Plan next week with a dispatcher.

Tell us where your truck is and where you want to be on Friday. We'll show you how we'd plan it.

Discuss your operation See how it works
Or call the dispatch line(929) 717-5625