How Regional LTL Carriers Are Pricing Themselves Out of Factory Supply Chains
LTL rates for shipments under 10,000 pounds have climbed 23 percent since January 2025, forcing plant managers to choose between absorbing cost or consolidating shipments into FTL loads they do not need.
The math is becoming impossible for shops that depend on regular LTL pickups. A 4,000-pound shipment of fabricated components that cost $180 to move last year now runs $220. That is a 22 percent increase in a single category that most plants budgeted for flat. When you multiply that across 15 or 20 shipments per month, the total landed cost on incoming materials moves significantly. And the carriers say rates will stay tight through Q4.
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