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Trucking Cost Trends for Owner Operators

See how what carriers get paid, and what trucks, trailers and tires cost, have moved over the last month, year and five years. From Federal Reserve and BLS price data.

These are price indexes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shown through the St. Louis Fed. An index is not a price in dollars. It compares each month with a base month, so the useful facts are the changes. The prices carriers receive are a signal for the freight market. They are not a load board rate.
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Data: Producer Price Indexes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, republished by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). Values are monthly and are sometimes revised after they are first published. A producer price index measures what sellers receive, so it is not the same as what any one driver was paid or what any one shop charges.

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Are trucking rates and costs going up?

Check how the price index for trucking services and the price indexes for new trucks, trailers and tires have changed over the last month, year and five years. These are Bureau of Labor Statistics indexes shown through the St. Louis Fed. They show the direction of the market and of your costs, not the rate on one load.

  1. Look at what carriers are paid: long-haul truckload, local, long-haul LTL and specialized freight.
  2. Look at what trucks and parts cost: new heavy trucks, new trailers and tires.
  3. Compare the one-year and five-year changes for both. Rates rising slower than costs squeeze margins.
  4. Use the what-is-that-worth calculator to restate a past amount by any series.
  5. Then check your own cost per mile and a load's rate. The market index is only a guide.
How the price indexes changed, September 2026 data (percent change)
Price index1 year5 years
Long-haul truckload (what carriers get)Up 17.9%Up 29.4%
Local general freightUp 13.0%Up 23.5%
Long-haul LTLUp 19.8%Up 52.8%
Specialized long-haul (flatbed, heavy haul)Up 14.3%Up 22.8%
New heavy duty trucksUp 0.8%Up 9.2%
New truck trailersUp 9.5%Up 45.6%
New tires (not retreads)Up 0.7%Up 22.0%

Data: Producer Price Indexes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, republished by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). The table shows the September 2026 data and the tool shows the newest month, so figures will change. An index compares each month with a base month, so it is not a price in dollars. It is what sellers receive on average, not the rate on one load.

Last reviewed September 2026. Sources: FRED: Producer Price Index, General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance Truckload; BLS: Producer Price Index.

Frequently Asked Questions - Trucking Cost Trends

Are trucking rates going up?
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for September 2026, the price index for long-distance truckload freight was 17.9 percent higher than a year earlier and 29.4 percent higher than five years earlier. That index measures what carriers receive, so it is a signal for the market, not a spot rate on a load board. The tool loads the newest month each time, so these figures will move.
Will trucking rates go up or down?
No one can say for certain, and this tool does not forecast. It shows where prices have been, so you can see the direction and the size of recent moves. For today's rates on a lane, use a load board and the Rate Benchmarker on this site.
Why are semi trucks so expensive?
New heavy truck prices rose about 9.2 percent over five years in the September 2026 data, and about 0.8 percent over the last year. New trailer prices rose 45.6 percent over five years. Parts, labor and materials cost more, and higher loan rates raise payments on top of the sticker price. Use the Truck Ownership Simulator to see what a price and a rate do to your cash.
How much have tire prices gone up?
In the September 2026 data, the price index for new tires was up 0.7 percent over the last year and 22.0 percent over five years. Tires are one of the larger repair and maintenance costs per mile, so the Tire Cost Analyzer can show what your tires cost per mile.
What is a Producer Price Index?
It is a set of indexes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that track what sellers receive for their goods and services. The trucking indexes here track what trucking companies receive. An index is not a dollar price. It compares each month with a base month, so the useful numbers are the changes.
Is this the same as the rate per mile I get paid?
No. The index averages many kinds of freight and prices, including contract freight and other services. Your rate depends on your lane, equipment, broker and timing. Use these numbers to judge the market, and use your own cost per mile and rate per mile to judge your loads.
How do I read the green and red numbers?
For what carriers are paid, a rise is green because it is good news for a driver. For what trucks, trailers and tires cost, a rise is red because it is bad news for a driver who buys them. A month, one year, three year and five year change are shown for every series so you can see short and long trends.
Where does the data come from?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures the prices. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis publishes them through FRED, its free economic data service. The tool reads the newest values from FRED, keeps them for 12 hours, and shows a saved copy if FRED cannot be reached. The page tells you which one you are seeing.
How often does the data update, and can it change?
Once a month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes each month's numbers a few weeks after the month ends, and it can revise them later. That is why a recent change may shift slightly when you look again.

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Go Further With Trucking Cost Trends

Guides, services and reference pages that go with this tool.