Each week, MarketFIT™ from Express Freight Finance analyzes real-time freight market data to surface the most favorable and competitive markets across the country.
Rather than reacting to yesterday’s trends or generic load board averages, MarketFIT helps carriers and brokers make smarter decisions in the moment — from where to drive next, to how to price lanes, to when to push for stronger rates.
MarketFIT Platform Overview
With MarketFIT, Express Freight Finance clients gain access to in-depth dashboards covering 125+ U.S. markets and thousands of active freight lanes, all updated continuously to reflect real-world conditions.
If this is your first time here, watch our short overview below featuring Dan Hadley, President & CEO of Express Freight Finance, to see how MarketFIT turns raw data into actionable strategy inside your business.
What This Week’s Data Shows
Below is a snapshot of this week’s live MarketFIT data, highlighting key shifts in demand, capacity, and pricing across top U.S. freight markets.
Shifts in demand, capacity, and pricing across top U.S. freight markets indicate notable strengthening in St. Louis, MO. The market records a significant week-over-week improvement, with the Overall Fit Score increasing by 14.09 points to 36.90, signaling a meaningful tightening in freight conditions. This sharp gain suggests growing momentum and improving balance compared to prior weeks.
Outbound Tender Volume stands at 98.5, exceeding Inbound Tender Volume at 82.4, resulting in a Head Haul Index of 16.1. This positions St. Louis as a clear headhaul market, where outbound demand outpaces inbound capacity. This imbalance reflects tighter conditions, giving carriers stronger leverage as more freight is leaving the market than entering.
The Outbound Tender Reject Index (OTRI) is at 33.89, indicating elevated rejection activity. Carriers are increasingly selective, reinforcing the tightening environment and suggesting upward pressure on spot rates, particularly in key outbound lanes.
Overall, St. Louis reflects a rapidly strengthening market, characterized by a headhaul imbalance and high rejection levels. The combination of strong outbound demand and constrained capacity is likely to sustain upward rate pressure in the near term, positioning the market among the tighter freight environments.
Carriers Continue To Ramp Up Profits With These Lanes:
- Chicago, IL → Detroit, MI - Avg. Rate per Mile: $3.69
- Ontario, CA → Phoenix, AZ - Avg. Rate per Mile: $3.68
- Joliet, IL → Cincinnati, OH - Avg. Rate per Mile: $3.41
These lanes remain well-supported as pricing stays firm across established Midwest and Northeast freight corridors.
Load Availability & Lane Rates Intelligence
Zero in on where freight is actually moving right now — highlighting lanes with rising demand, tightening capacity, and improving rate potential.
Use this MarketFIT data to spot pockets of opportunity as they emerge, compare lanes side by side, and prioritize routes that offer the best balance of volume and pricing — before conditions shift.
Below is a snapshot of this week’s load availability and lane rate data across key markets.
You can learn more about MarketFIT and request a demo by visiting MarketFIT.