Flatbed Rates

Flatbed Truckload (TL) Sector – September 2025

Flatbed rates in August 2025 continued to reflect the drag from weak industrial activity, delayed infrastructure disbursements, and cautious private-sector spending. Below is the latest analysis of spot and contract flatbed rates.

Spot Market Rates
Flatbed spot rates rose 27% y/y in August but held flat month-over-month, signaling stability rather than recovery. Load postings remained weak, particularly in construction materials, heavy equipment, and energy-related freight. While seasonal construction volumes helped provide some baseline support, sluggish industrial demand and deferred project activity are limiting momentum.

Tariff-driven cost volatility in metals and machinery continues to dampen freight flows into key flatbed lanes. Capacity remains readily available, and with no near-term catalyst from housing, infrastructure, or energy, spot rates are expected to stay range-bound through the fall.

Contract Market Rates
Flatbed contract rates remained unchanged in August, extending the stagnant trend seen since Q1. Infrastructure-linked projects continue to provide some baseline support, but overall contract pricing is eroding as industrial softness persists.

Bid activity remains conservative, with shippers favoring shorter-term agreements and aggressive cost control. Carriers are increasingly focused on operational efficiency and margin protection, rather than expansion. Without a pickup in industrial production or a faster release of public project funding, contract rates are likely to remain flat into Q4.

Outlook
The flatbed segment is expected to remain under pressure into late 2025. With industrial freight weak, construction activity uneven, and energy-related projects subdued, both spot and contract rates are likely to stay stagnant. Tariff-related cost volatility is further delaying investment decisions, reducing project-driven freight demand.

A meaningful recovery will hinge on infrastructure funding flows and stabilization in industrial output. Until then, flatbed carriers are expected to prioritize yield protection, cost management, and tactical deployment of capacity, with no material pricing upside anticipated before mid-2026

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