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.
Freight market conditions in Joplin, MO improved modestly over the past week, with the Overall Fit Score increasing by 1.47 points to 32.90. This improvement follows notable volatility throughout July, including a sharp decline in early July and a subsequent recovery. Current conditions suggest that the market is stabilizing, supported by relatively balanced freight flows and continued carrier selectivity. As a strategically located freight market near major transportation corridors, Joplin supports regional and long-haul freight movements tied to manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage, retail distribution, and other industries throughout the Midwest and South-Central United States.
Outbound Tender Volume is at 50.9, compared to 48.3 for Inbound Tender Volume, resulting in a 2.7 Head Haul Index. This narrow positive differential indicates that outbound freight demand slightly exceeds inbound volumes, creating a relatively balanced freight market. Unlike stronger headhaul markets where outbound demand significantly outpaces inbound freight, Joplin’s current balance suggests that equipment availability and freight opportunities are more evenly matched, limiting significant upward pressure on rates from freight-flow imbalances alone.
The Outbound Tender Reject Index (OTRI) is currently at 32.04, indicating elevated carrier rejection activity and relatively tight capacity conditions. An OTRI above 30 suggests that carriers are rejecting a meaningful share of contracted freight, pushing additional shipments into the spot market and increasing competition for available equipment. Despite the relatively balanced inbound and outbound volumes, the elevated rejection rate points to stronger carrier leverage and the potential for firmer spot pricing as capacity remains constrained.
Overall, Joplin is demonstrating modest positive market momentum following the volatility experienced in July. The increase in the Fit Score, combined with a nearly balanced Head Haul Index and elevated OTRI, suggests that current market strength is being driven more by tightening carrier capacity than by a significant imbalance in freight demand. As an important regional transportation market, Joplin’s freight conditions will continue to be influenced by manufacturing activity, agricultural and food-related shipments, retail distribution, and broader Midwest and South-Central freight flows as market conditions evolve.
Carriers Continue To Find Strong Opportunities With These Lanes:
- Allentown, PA → Boston, MA — Avg. Rate per Mile: $4.20
- Chicago, IL → Detroit, MI — Avg. Rate per Mile: $3.75
- Ontario, CA → Phoenix, AZ — Avg. Rate per Mile: $3.73
These lanes continue to offer attractive earning potential as pricing remains elevated across major Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast freight corridors, providing carriers with consistent opportunities in high-demand regional markets.
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.