Breaking

Tender Rejections Surge to 14% Amid Nationwide Capacity Crunch

Freight tender rejections climbed to 14.17% this week, marking an unusual mid-October spike driven entirely by supply shortages rather than demand spikes. The Tender Volume Index shows no surge in freight requests, indicating the market imbalance stems from insufficient truckload capacity across the nation. Distribution hubs including Columbus, Harrisburg, and Atlanta are experiencing elevated rejection readings. Knoxville, Memphis, Green Bay, Des Moines, Los Angeles, and Ontario are also affected. The breadth of disruption across these markets is particularly striking given mid-October typically offers a calm period before peak season. Record import volumes through the Port of Los Angeles in September have created a prolonged maritime plateau. Lean retailer inventories built on just-in-time strategies are now triggering replenishment demand that stretches capacity from the West Coast eastward.