C.H. Robinson Edge Report

Freight Market Update: March 2026

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Insights at a glance

Key supply chain insights and essential areas to watch

Published: Thursday, March 05, 2026 | 12:00 AM CDT

Truckload shipping

Winter storms leave trailing effects, and flatbed capacity is the tightest in four years.

Find out what it means for C.H. Robinson’s 2026 rate forecasts

LTL shipping

Carriers continue to invest in terminals and fleets to be ready for a demand rebound.

Check out current conditions for LTL shipping

Ocean freight

New Middle East ship diversions add weeks to transit time, while service from Asia is coming back unevenly after Lunar New Year.

See our full global insights for March

Air freight

Global air capacity is severely strained by grounded flights, minimal airport operations, and airspace restrictions in the Middle East.

Read how the impacts of the conflict are intersecting with regional conditions

Intermodal

The cost differential between truckload and intermodal is widening.

Get our tips for 2026 RFPs

Ports & drayage

Some South America ports now have higher rollover risk, and rotation changes are affecting feeder timing.

See our port-by-port insights

Canada, Mexico & cross-border

Though Mexico exports are hitting records, trucking rates are stable for shippers and carriers are under financial pressure.

Read the full reports for Mexico and Canada

Trade policy & customs

U.S. Supreme Court ruling brings a swift change in tariffs.

Get our tips for what to do and not do in the wake of the decision

Government & regulations

Tighter rules for commercial driver’s licenses go into effect this month.

Find out what it means for trucking capacity

Diesel fuel

The duration and scope of disruption in the Middle East will determine the impact on fuel prices.

Track diesel trends across the United States, Mexico, and Canada

Industry Insights

Retail

SKU rationalization requires more efficient retail logistics

Read the retail update

Automotive

Mexico’s automotive importance is here to stay

Read the automotive update

Energy

Iran conflict disrupts global energy supply chains

Read the energy update

Healthcare

Why an aging population matters to healthcare supply chains

Read the healthcare update

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*This information is compiled from a number of sources—including market data from public sources and data from C.H. Robinson—that to the best of our knowledge are accurate and correct. It is always the intent of our company to present accurate information. C.H. Robinson accepts no liability or responsibility for the information published herein.

To deliver our market updates to our global audiences in the timeliest manner possible, we rely on machine translations to translate these updates from English.

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