US freight data platform SONAR released three new truckload dataset groups in October 2026, quantifying for the first time how shipper costs change as freight moves through a routing guide. The data shows that when loads fail to cover on the first tender, subsequent tenders carry significantly higher costs.
What Happened
The new datasets include Routing Guide Premium (RGP2.USA, RGP3.USA), Routing Guide Acceptance Share (RGAS1.USA, RGAS2.USA, RGAS3.USA), and Contract Rate Change Direction (CRCD.USA). All three update daily on a 7-day rolling average and measure shipper-to-provider costs—what shippers pay brokers and carriers—not carrier operating costs or broker margins.
As of October 20, 2026, loads accepted on the second tender cost shippers a median 22.02% more all-in than first-tender loads; third-tender loads cost 26.44% more. These premiums spiked above 30% around the December 2025 holidays, early February 2026, and late June into July 2026. On the same date, the first-tender acceptance share was 89.05%, below the 12-month average of 91.60%; second-tender acceptances made up 6.84% and third-tender 4.11%.
The Contract Rate Change Direction index stood at 12.58%, meaning new contract base rates averaged about 12.6% above the rates they replaced—well above the 12-month average of 8.34%—and has climbed steadily since late 2025. The index only counts changes where the prior contract rate was stable for more than 90 days to filter out short-term noise.
Background
A routing guide is a pre-set priority list of carriers that shippers use to tender freight. When the primary carrier rejects a load, it moves to backup carriers, who often charge more. Previously, shippers had to estimate this cost of routing guide failure on their own. SONAR's new data presents this cost as a percentage and, combined with acceptance share metrics, helps assess routing guide efficiency and the timing for rebidding.
Impact on Shippers
For Chinese exporters and cross-border e-commerce sellers shipping to the US, while these datasets reflect domestic US trucking, last-mile truck delivery costs are directly linked to routing guide efficiency. When cargo clears customs at the destination port and moves via truck, if the primary carrier is capacity-constrained or rejects the load, freight may be pushed to second or third tenders, raising last-mile costs by over 20%. During peak seasons or around holidays, premiums can exceed 30%, further squeezing margins.
Additionally, rising contract rates mean new trucking contracts carry higher base rates than old ones, requiring shippers to adjust last-mile logistics budgets. Delivery times after customs clearance may also lengthen due to multiple tenders, affecting overall supply chain rhythm.
Recommendations
Shippers are advised to regularly review their US last-mile trucking routing guides and use acceptance share data to assess primary carrier reliability; secure capacity or coordinate with overseas warehouses for inventory pacing ahead of peak seasons to reduce extra costs from multiple tenders; and monitor contract rate trends to budget reasonably for renewals or bids.