Spring 2026 turned into a race between rates and fuel. Rates rose, but much of the increase was fuel surcharge passing straight through to the pump. For small carriers, the gap between paying for fuel today and collecting on the load a month later became the main cash flow problem.
Diesel surges past $5
The Energy Information Administration's weekly national diesel average first crossed $5 on 16 March 2026, at $5.071 a gallon, and peaked at $5.643 on 6 April. A year earlier, on 7 April 2025, it was $3.639, so the early-April price was about $2.00 a gallon, or roughly 55%, higher. By 20 April it had eased to $5.403, still about $1.87 above the same week of 2025.
The cause was the conflict involving Iran that began in late February, which left the Strait of Hormuz largely closed. In normal times, oil moving through the strait equals about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, and EIA estimated that 10.54 million barrels a day of Middle East crude production was shut in during April.
For a carrier that factors, fuel advances and fuel card discounts matter more at these prices. Compare programs on actual cents per gallon saved and network coverage, and budget for prices that can move sharply week to week.
Rates rise, but fuel takes most of it
DAT's March figures, released 14 April, showed spot and contract rates at their highest levels in more than two years:
| Measure | March 2026 | Change from February |
|---|---|---|
| Spot van | $2.52 a mile | up 11 cents |
| Spot reefer | $2.97 a mile | up 9 cents |
| Spot flatbed | $3.09 a mile | up 37 cents |
| Contract van | $2.72 a mile | up 20 cents |
| Van fuel surcharge | 61 cents a mile | up from 41 cents |
The fuel surcharge explains most of the gain. Van and reefer linehaul rates, which exclude fuel, actually fell 9 cents and 13 cents a mile from February. A carrier collecting more per mile was mostly being reimbursed for more expensive diesel, not earning more.
The spot-to-contract gap also moved. In February, DAT's averages put contract van only 11 cents above spot, the narrowest since March 2022. In March the contract premium widened to 20 cents as contract rates jumped. DAT's April figures, released in May, showed spot van at $2.67 and contract van at $2.85, with the gap back down to 18 cents and the van fuel surcharge at 71 cents, the highest since July 2022.
C.H. Robinson raises its cost forecast
C.H. Robinson's April market update raised its full-year 2026 forecast for dry van truckload cost per mile to 17% above 2025 and for refrigerated to 16%. The company attributed the revision to a more persistent, structural supply imbalance, citing CDL and other enforcement actions, higher operating costs and tighter driver supply. It said the recent diesel increase was not the primary driver of the revision.
For carriers, a supply-driven market tends to keep rates firm, but cost pressure from fuel, insurance and maintenance can absorb much of the gain. Operational efficiency and steady cash flow decide who benefits.
60 Minutes on chameleon carriers
On 12 April 2026, CBS's 60 Minutes aired an investigation into chameleon carriers, trucking companies that reopen under new names and USDOT numbers to escape enforcement. The segment focused on Super Ego Holding, a network of trucking and leasing companies based in Serbia and the United States. FreightWaves reported that carriers tied to the network logged nearly 15,000 safety violations and 500 accidents over two years, according to DOT data. Super Ego disputed the report, calling it misleading.
Chameleon operations undercut legitimate carriers on price and evade safety enforcement. The national attention made more enforcement against carrier identity fraud likely. For carriers that factor, it is a reminder of what a good factor's vetting does: checking that brokers and loads are legitimate before funding, not just whether a broker pays.
Capacity keeps tightening
Several pressures on capacity overlapped in April:
- Carrier exits: carriers that survived the 2023 to 2025 downturn are leaner, but the carrier population remained below where it had been.
- Non-domiciled CDLs: FMCSA's final rule took effect 16 March 2026. When the earlier interim rule was issued, DOT estimated about 194,000 of roughly 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders would leave the market over two years as licenses came up for renewal.
- ELD removals: FMCSA removed four devices from its registered ELD list on 13 January 2026, giving carriers 60 days, until 15 March, to replace them. Carriers still running a revoked device after a replacement deadline are out of compliance, so check the FMCSA revoked list.
- Seasonal demand: produce season lifts reefer demand and spring construction supports flatbed.
Tight capacity rewards well-capitalized carriers with good equipment and qualified drivers. Factoring gives a carrier the room to turn down poor loads and wait for better ones.
Factoring as market infrastructure
A 10 April 2026 SupplyChainBrain column argued that invoice factoring strengthens the freight market by standardizing invoices across tens of thousands of carriers, checking paperwork before it reaches brokers, vetting carriers and loads, and taking on billing and collections. The author is a marketing executive at a factoring company, so read it as an industry view, but the functions it describes are the practical reasons brokers increasingly deal with factors directly.
MOTUS registration launch
FMCSA's new MOTUS registration system was due in the second quarter of 2026, and the agency later set a 14 May go-live date. Before launch, trade press advised carriers to:
- Confirm their FMCSA Portal account is active, since inactive accounts are disabled after 90 days
- Update company details and contact information through the biennial update in the Portal
- Make sure the Portal Company Official uses the same Login.gov email for both systems, since only that person can first claim the account in MOTUS
At launch, FMCSA was not eliminating MC docket numbers or changing BOC-3 filing requirements. Existing registrations remained valid during the transition.
Regulatory proposals to watch
FMCSA entered 2026 with dozens of open rulemakings, and trade press expected many to slip past their target dates. The list included broker transparency, ELD requirements, Clearinghouse violation information, exams for new carrier applicants, autonomous driving systems and automatic emergency braking. Any of these could affect paperwork, compliance costs or equipment budgets.
Choosing a factor in this market
- Fuel programs: at $5-plus diesel, per-gallon discounts are a material line item
- Technology: document upload, same-day funding and real-time visibility into your cash position
- Fraud protection: broker qualification, credit checks and clear non-recourse terms
- Total cost: factoring rates depend on volume, broker credit and recourse type, so get the full fee schedule, including wire, same-day and fuel advance charges
- Contract flexibility: avoid long terms and high monthly minimums while conditions are this volatile
See what freight factoring costs, hidden factoring fees and recourse vs non-recourse factoring for detail, and the market trends overview for how 2026 unfolded.