Canada Freight Rates

Truckload Rates in Canada

October 2026 Update

October 26, 2026

Domestic Spot Rates

Aggregate DAT intra-Canada spot rates averaged US$1.79 per mile excluding fuel in September, down 4 cents from August and up 6.8% year over year. That aggregate covers equipment types; it should not be confused with the intra-Canada dry van rate of US$1.56, which fell 6 cents for the month and was 7.2% above a year earlier. Canadian reefer spot rates increased for the month, while flatbed rates declined. Domestic pricing therefore varied with equipment and freight mix.

Cross-Border Rates

Direction changed the September result. U.S.-to-Canada dry van spot rates averaged US$1.45 per mile excluding fuel, down 8 cents from August. Canada-to-U.S. dry van rates averaged US$1.69, up 2 cents and 20% above a year earlier. A bid or capacity plan that assumes the same rate movement in both directions can miss a meaningful exposure to trade flows and backhaul economics.

Market Meaning

ACT's October Freight Forecast describes stronger Canadian freight activity against tariff-affected year-earlier comparisons and tighter equipment supply, while Canada's driver market remains different from the more constrained U.S. market. The most recent LoadLink freight and truck indexes in the report cover August, not September. Cross-border activity also remains sensitive to trade policy, so one strong comparison should not be projected mechanically into every lane.

For Canadian shippers, carriers and brokers, separate domestic from northbound and southbound movements, then compare equipment, currency, fuel basis and service requirements. ACT's Freight Forecast tracks these market differences and the risks behind the broader rate outlook.

To see how Canadian rates change in the future, and for detailed analysis and forecasts or truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal, see ACT's freight & transportation forecast.