This week in trucking: New trailer duties, LTL disruption

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of June 11

U.S. imposes duties on Mexican and Chinese trailer imports

The U.S. Department of Commerce published the preliminary findings from its investigation on van-type trailers assembled outside the U.S. The department found that China and Mexico were unfairly subsidizing their van trailer industries. The Department of Commerce calculated new duties to offset those subsidies: Chinese trailers face duties ranging from 82.3% to 128.7%, and trailers imported from Mexico face duties between 1.9% and 1.95%.

Amazon’s LTL arm opens for business

Amazon Freight has extended its less-than-truckload (LTL) business beyond its own network. Shippers can now use the carrier to move goods between any location in the U.S. The LTL service was previously only available for shipments inbound to Amazon fulfillment centers. 

The World Cup is underway

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in full swing, running from June 11 to July 19, and the 16 North American host cities will likely see some congestion. Fleet management technology company Geotab compiled a ranking of host cities most likely to face the worst congestion for truck traffic. The worst congestion for trucks will, maybe unsurprisingly, happen in Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto.

Strong spot rates are here to stay

The spot market continues to maintain its early-year gains. Average spot rates, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence and DAT Freight & Analytics, are about 50% higher than at this time last year across all three reported trailer types. Uber Freight also released its Q2 market analysis: Uber Freight forecasts spot rates in the second half of the year will remain 20-25% higher year over year, and contract rates will remain 5-10% higher year over year. According to the report, “the Q2 rate environment is best treated as a new baseline rather than a temporary peak.”

In fuel this week, diesel fell by 14 cents

The national average on-highway diesel price fell for the third week in a row. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates diesel fell 14 cents to $5.21 per gallon, while AAA’s latest estimate is $5.31. The Iran War continues.

Never miss an episode of The Fleet Lead. Use the embedded player at the top of this page or find our Endeavor B2B Commercial Vehicle Group podcast on your favorite platform:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Podbean
• Or search “The Fleet Lead” wherever you listen.

Want these heavy-duty equipment breakdowns, regulatory insights, and fleet management tactics delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the FleetOwner Newsletter here to catch every episode alongside our daily industry reporting.