Reefer Loads: Northwest and Midwest Freight Markets Tighten

What happened

Reefer loads are getting harder to cover in two parts of the country. A reefer is a refrigerated trailer. FreightWaves, a trucking news site, reported it on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, using its SONAR freight data.

The number to know is the tender rejection rate. A tender is a load that a shipper offers to a carrier under contract. The rejection rate is the share of those loads that carriers turn down. When it goes up, trucks are harder to find in that area.

Here is what the report shows:

• Whole country: about 13.8% over the past two weeks. That is a little lower than before.
• Northwest: 20.27% on Oct. 8. One year ago it was 6.2%. It is the highest of any region.
• Midwest: 18.61%. One year ago it was 7.6%.
• Other regions: between 7.6% and 13.1%.

The two tight regions are tight for different reasons.

In the Northwest, it is about reefers. Carriers there turned down an average of 41% of reefer loads so far in October. Reefer load volume is up 65% since July and 35% from last year. The reason is the fall harvest. Apples and potatoes are coming out of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Dry van loads there are easy to cover. Van rejections are under 5%.

In the Midwest, it is everything. Van rejections are near 15%. Reefer rejections are near 29%, up from 15% a year ago. Load volume is up about 10% from last year. FreightWaves says the Midwest has been the tightest large region for most of 2026.

What it means for owner-operators

This is good news if you run those lanes. When carriers turn down more contract loads, shippers and brokers have to look harder for a truck. That usually means more loads to choose from for owner-operators and small fleets.

But read it with care. The report does not promise higher rates. It also says the Northwest squeeze should fade when the harvest winds down this winter. It is a season, not a new normal.

And the South is different. FreightWaves says shippers in the Southeast and Southwest have moved more freight to intermodal. That means containers that ride on trains. Intermodal volume through Atlanta and Dallas is up 15% to 20% from last year. So not every region is tight.

What to do next

• Know your region. A tight market in Washington does not mean a tight market in Texas.
• Hauling reefer in the Northwest? The harvest rush is seasonal. Plan for it to slow down in winter.
• Compare offers before you book. In a tight region you may have more than one load to pick from.
• Plan the trip back. A good load into a region is only half the trip. Check what is leaving that area before you say yes.
• Check your cargo coverage before you haul produce. Ask your agent if your policy covers refrigerated loads and a reefer unit breakdown. Not every policy does.
• Read up first. Our trucking insurance coverage guide explains cargo coverage in plain words.