Freight rates in the truckload market have bounced along the bottom for years since the pandemic, putting pressure on carrier who have seen their operational costs rise at the same time. But the market in early 2026 has notably turned in favor of carriers, with spot rates rising and contract rates inching up. Intermodal providers, seeing a widening gap between full truckload rates and their own pricing, are following suit.

With the uncertain impact of increased fuel costs weighing on both demand projection and carrier costs, and import tariffs still very much a part of shipper cost calculations, it seems inevitable that shippers will be paying more for freight in 2026. The big question that remains in the first half is whether the recovery is temporary or structural.

Speakers at Inland26 will dive deep into the operational, pricing, and underlying economic conditions influencing freight markets, from the seemingly unconstrained growth of cargo theft and fraud schemes, to the impact AI will have on service providers’ cost to serve, to the impact on supply from regulatory restrictions on the US driver pool.

Specific topics to be discussed include:

  • The economic outlook for North American freight demand
  • Cross-border logistics between the US, Canada and Mexico
  • The impact of tariffs, especially within North America
  • Strategies to counter cargo theft and fraud
  • Why brokers remain a key tool in shippers’ arsenal
  • The extent of intermodal volume growth in 2027
  • Truckload and LTL capacity, service and pricing
  • How shippers are using dedicated and private fleets
  • Whether shippers need to be directly investing in AI