Why Short-Haul Freight Is Outpacing Long-Haul Shipping
Short-Haul Freight Is Winning as Long-Haul Slips
Short-haul truckload freight is growing far faster than other length-of-haul segments in 2025, according to FreightWaves SONAR data. Loads moving fewer than 100 miles are up 35% year to date, a shift that is reshaping freight patterns for truckload carriers and drivers.
The growth in local freight stands in sharp contrast to the performance of long-haul truckload. Freight moving more than 800 miles is down 15% over the past two years and 3% year to date on an all-mode basis. The gap indicates that the change is more than a short-term fluctuation in weekly demand. Freight is moving through different channels and across shorter distances than it has in the past.
For drivers, that can mean a market with more local and regional work but fewer traditional long-haul opportunities. It also changes where capacity is needed, how often trucks return to the same freight markets and how carriers plan around equipment, fuel and driver availability.
Short-haul freight leads the market
SONAR’s Short-haul Truckload Volume Index, known as the CSTVI, tracks freight moving less than 100 miles. The index is up 35% since the beginning of the year and 11% since September 2024, making short-haul freight the strongest-performing length-of-haul segment over that period.
That increase does not necessarily mean total truckload demand is expanding at the same pace. A major factor is that some freight that once moved as a single long-haul truckload is now being divided into several transportation legs. When freight is shifted to intermodal, trucks often handle the drayage moves between rail terminals, distribution centers and shippers.
Each intermodal shipment can therefore create a short truck move at both ends of the rail journey. That activity raises the short-haul volume index even while the long-haul truckload segment declines.
Intermodal takes a larger role
The shift is occurring as shippers use rail for more long-distance freight when service levels and timing allow. The SONAR Outbound Rail Index, which measures outbound rail container volume, is up 6% over the past year. That increase provides a counterpoint to the decline in long-haul truckload volumes.
Intermodal can offer savings in contract rates and fuel costs, making it an option for freight that does not require the speed or direct movement of over-the-road trucking. Julie Van de Kamp said she expects lengths of haul to continue shortening as just-in-time operations become more important and more long-distance freight moves to intermodal.
That transition has also tightened drayage capacity in some markets. Local and regional drivers serving rail ramps may see more demand as containers need to be moved between terminals and nearby facilities. At the same time, fewer loads may remain available for a single truck to haul hundreds or more than 800 miles.
The shift is also tied to the continued reduction of distribution networks. As shippers adjust their facilities and inventory strategies, freight may move through shorter routes and closer regional distribution points. Together, network changes and intermodal conversion are compressing the average length of haul.
The trend is not guaranteed to continue unchanged. Van de Kamp cautioned that intermodal railroads must maintain dependable service levels. If rail service deteriorates, some freight could return to long-haul trucking, which would partially reverse the current pattern.
Capacity remains relatively tight
Despite the uneven freight picture, the national truckload tender rejection rate remained elevated. The rate stood at 14.21% on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Tender rejections increased around Labor Day, eased as shipment volumes declined after the holiday and then moved higher again. The rate has not returned to earlier summer peaks, but a level above 14% still gives carriers meaningful selectivity as peak season approaches.
A tender rejection occurs when a carrier declines a contracted load offered by a shipper or broker. A higher rejection rate generally indicates that carriers have more alternatives or that available capacity is tighter relative to demand. For drivers and fleets, that can support better freight selection, although the effect varies by region, equipment type and length of haul.
The current market is therefore showing two conditions at once: long-haul truckload volumes are weakening, while short-haul freight and intermodal-related trucking remain comparatively strong. For drivers, the data points to a freight network increasingly built around regional moves, rail connections and shorter turns rather than exclusively around coast-to-coast truckload runs.
