Factors Affecting Freight Rates

AJG Transport · August 21, 2025

Every shipper asks the same question eventually: why did my rate change? Freight pricing looks simple from the outside — a truck, a load, a distance — but underneath it, rates move for reasons that have little to do with the specific shipment in front of you.

Fuel Costs

Diesel prices are one of the most direct inputs into a freight quote. Most carriers apply a fuel surcharge tied to a national index, so when prices swing, quotes swing with them — sometimes within the same week.

Capacity and Seasonality

Rates rise when trucks are scarce relative to freight volume, and fall when the opposite is true. Produce season, holiday retail surges, and weather events can all tighten capacity in specific regions almost overnight.

Lane Balance

Some lanes are easy to staff because trucks naturally want to run them — there's freight going back the other direction. Other lanes are one-directional, meaning a carrier has to plan for an empty return trip, and that cost gets built into the rate.

The rate isn't just about your load — it's about everything the truck does before and after it.

What You Can Control

Flexibility on pickup windows, consistent volume, and clear communication with your carrier all help keep your rates predictable. A dedicated partner who understands your lanes — rather than a one-off spot-market booking — tends to smooth out a lot of this volatility over time.

At AJG Transport, we build long-term relationships with shippers precisely because it lets us plan capacity around your freight instead of scrambling for it. If you want a straight answer on what's driving your rate, our dispatch team is happy to walk through it with you.