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Illustration: refrigerated semi trucks being loaded with holiday produce and retail freight at a distribution center dock in early November
Fuel & rates

Holiday freight is moving: reefer spot climbs $0.10 to $3.70 a mile in DAT's week ending Nov. 6, and van and reefer trail only 2021 for early November

DAT's weekly release for the week ending Nov. 6, published Monday, puts the 7-day average broker-to-carrier reefer rate at $3.70 a mile, up $0.10, with reefer load posts up 16% and the load-to-truck ratio at 19.0. Van linehaul rose $0.06 to $2.26 a mile and flatbed $0.02 to $2.63, truck posts run 24% to 34% below a year ago, and DAT's 35-day forecast has van linehaul reaching $2.32 by mid-December.

Fuel & ratesUpdated Monday, November 9, 2026
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Weather and roads

South Texas rain peaks and turns: 5 to 10 inches fell near Kingsville, one more round Monday, and the heavy rain ends by evening

The Weather Prediction Center's discussion issued early Monday shrinks the excessive-rainfall risk to far southeastern Texas — a slight risk, level 2 of 4, from southwest of Corpus Christi down to Brownsville — after some areas took 4 to 9 inches in 24 hours and the Kingsville area took 5 to 10. The Corpus Christi office says 1 to 3 more inches are possible through Monday afternoon on saturated ground, the Flood Watch runs through noon, and a Flood Warning for Oso Creek near Corpus Christi, with a crest near 23 feet late Monday night, runs to Wednesday afternoon.

Weather and roads

Alaska storm Monday: 8 to 12 inches on the Haines Highway at the border, and snow, freezing rain and 60 mph gusts for Anchorage's evening commute

The National Weather Service in Juneau has upgraded the Haines Highway to a winter storm warning for Monday — 8 to 12 inches of snow possible at the upper elevations near the border crossing, 3 AM to 6 PM AKST — with a winter weather advisory for 5 to 8 inches on the Klondike Highway near White Pass. In Anchorage, a winter weather advisory runs from noon Monday to 3 PM Tuesday: 2 to 8 inches of snow, a light glaze of ice and gusts to 60 mph on the Hillside, hitting both the Monday evening and Tuesday morning commutes.

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The Morning Mile — Monday, Nov. 9

South Texas took 5 to 10 inches of rain near Kingsville and gets one more round Monday before the heavy rain ends by evening — with Oso Creek flooding into Wednesday — and an Alaska storm puts 8 to 12 inches on the Haines Highway border crossing while snow, freezing rain and 60 mph gusts reach Anchorage for the evening commute.

Weather and roads

South Texas flood threat escalates overnight: forecast totals raised to a widespread 3 to 6 inches, worst of it late today into early Monday

The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center raised its South Texas rainfall expectations overnight — a widespread 3 to 6 inches, locally as much as 8, with a 60-90% probability of more than 3 inches south of I-10 — and the Corpus Christi office reissued the Flood Watch through Monday noon with isolated totals of 7 to 9 inches now possible. A Flash Flood Warning and a Flood Advisory covered the Laredo area early this morning, and forecasters say the best chances for flash flooding come late this afternoon and evening, carrying into early Monday morning.

Enforcement

Colorado troopers stopped 119 drivers who ran past I-70 chain checks — 262 citations in two Dotsero details, and the next one is Tuesday

CDLLife reports Colorado State Patrol results from proactive chain-law operations held Oct. 23 and Oct. 28 on I-70 near Dotsero: 703 commercial drivers contacted, 262 citations issued — 63 of them for violating the must-carry chain law — and traffic stops on 119 professional drivers who failed to stop at the chain operation. Compliance with the must-carry rule was 91%. Another enforcement event is planned for Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the same location.

Weather and roads

Flood Watch for South Texas through Monday morning: 2 to 4 inches of rain, locally over 5, on the Laredo and I-10 freight corridors

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for most of South Texas from Saturday afternoon through Monday morning, with the heaviest rain Sunday. The Weather Prediction Center puts a slight risk — level 2 of 4 — of excessive rainfall across south-central and South Texas along and south of I-10, with a broad 2 to 3 inches, locally heavy totals of 4 to 6 inches, and the greatest probabilities between Laredo and Corpus Christi. Training storms over Laredo and the Coastal Bend are the flash-flood concern.

Pay

Schneider's profit more than doubled — and its CEO says drivers, not demand, still limit the market: 'You're not seeing growth of long-haul truck drivers'

Commercial Carrier Journal reports Schneider National's third-quarter net income rose 155% to $49.5 million on revenue of $1.59 billion, up 9%. CEO Jim Filter said capacity is still constrained because long-haul driver supply is not growing — about 50,000 drivers entered in 2021–2022, many with less than a week of training, while current standards call for five to six weeks — and Schneider is answering with selective pay increases and sign-on bonuses in constrained markets, tied to rate recovery.

Enforcement

Indiana police and the FBI are investigating a 45-truck carrier over alleged ELD cheating and pay-skimming — and the owner says fired employees invented it

Overdrive reports Indiana State Police have involved the FBI in an investigation of South Bend-based Majestic Cargo Lines over allegations that it manipulated electronic logging devices to cheat driver hours and skimmed driver pay. Owner Nikola Gavrilovic denies the allegations, blames disgruntled fired employees, and points to a July 2026 FMCSA audit that reviewed drivers' records of duty status and passed them. Nothing has been charged, and police confirmation of an investigation is not a finding of guilt.

Recalls

Recall: 12,715 Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans for a steering nut that may not have been tightened — including vans already cleared once

GM Authority reports General Motors has recalled certain 2025 and 2026 Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans under NHTSA campaign 26V718 because a steering gear assembly nut may not have been tightened during manufacturing. The recall covers 12,715 vehicles — 8,693 Express and 4,022 Savana — including vans inspected and cleared under the earlier recall 26V399, after investigators found 108 potentially defective steering gear serial numbers had been wrongly left off the original list. Owner letters are expected December 14, 2026.

Equipment

Axle and engine shortages dented Daimler's truck output even as sales jumped 51% — and its largest U.S. plant site will likely be named by Christmas

Transport Topics reports Daimler Truck North America sold 45,629 trucks and buses in the third quarter, up 51%, but third-party axle and engine supply issues cut the volume it could assemble and are continuing into the fourth quarter. Expedited freight for late parts cost tens of millions, catch-up before year-end looks difficult, and the company is finalizing the land purchase for a new plant — its largest in the U.S. — with the location to be revealed likely before Christmas and operations set for 2029.

Border

Texas-border spot rates are up 24% as USMCA goes to annual reviews — and DAT says exiting capacity, not demand, is doing the work

Transport Topics reports the U.S. declined on July 1 to confirm a 16-year USMCA extension, triggering annual reviews that could continue until the pact expires in 2036. DAT iQ's Dean Croke says southern border freight volumes are running about 6.5% higher than a year ago while spot rates on lanes out of the Texas border have climbed 24%, driven by enforcement of English-proficiency, non-domiciled CDL and cabotage rules. Northbound Mexico intermodal is up 17%, and crossing paperwork now includes driver names and plate numbers submitted in advance.

Regulations

Arizona voters put traffic cameras on a leash — and kept the door open to a per-mile tax, rejecting the VMT ban 50-49%

Land Line reports Arizona voters approved Proposition 319, a constitutional amendment requiring local voter approval before any city can run speed or red-light cameras, with existing programs facing a voter decision in November 2027. They narrowly rejected Proposition 141, which would have banned state and local mileage taxes and limited mileage tracking. Mesa approved $135 million in road bonds; Tempe rejected a half-cent sales tax increase expected to raise about $50 million a year.

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