🚛 FREIGHT MARKET PULSE — May 15, 2026
CVSA ended at midnight. Now nature takes over.
✅ The good news: International Roadcheck is done. Trucks are returning to the road. The 72-hour blitz that pushed spot rates to all-time highs is over — capacity starts normalizing today. If you've been waiting to book May 18+ loads, now is the window.
⛈ The bad news: Iowa just replaced CVSA as your biggest problem.
NWS issued an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms across Iowa today into tonight — the highest risk level in our region this week. Large hail, tornadoes, damaging winds. If your freight moves on I-80, I-35, or I-29 today, add 2-5 hours to every ETA and confirm your carrier has checked the route.
Saturday brings another round. Central Plains. Hail up to 3 inches. Tornado possible.
The rest of the market:
🛢 WTI $100.85 · Brent $106+ — Hormuz partially reopening but ceasefire is on "massive life support" per Trump. Don't plan around lower oil prices yet.
⛽ Diesel $5.639/gal — flat week over week. No relief until Hormuz resolves. +62% year over year.
📈 Spot rates: Van $2.37 · Reefer $2.73 · Flatbed $3.06/mi — still all-time highs. Expect slight softening next week as CVSA pressure clears.
🌡 Next week: early season heatwave building East Coast. Reefer demand spike incoming.
The market never gives you a clean week.
📊 Full daily intelligence — diesel, spot rates, border delays, weather, rail — updated every morning at pulse.ambry.io
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