Freight Rate Increases for 2027: Every Carrier GRI in One Place

Short answer: Most freight carriers are raising list prices by about 5% to 7% for 2027. FedEx Freight goes up an average of 6.9% on Jan. 8, 2027. Saia (7.1%), ArcBest (5.9%), Old Dominion (4.9%) and Roadrunner (5.9%) already put their increases in place during 2026. On the parcel side, FedEx and UPS are both raising rates an average of 5.9%. Truckload works differently: there's no single list price, but FTR expects contract rates to run close to 20% above the year before at points in 2027.

Below is every increase we could confirm, where each number comes from, and what it means for a real freight budget. We check these sources and update this page as new increases are announced.

What Is a General Rate Increase (GRI)?

A general rate increase, or GRI, is a carrier raising its published base rates across the board. It's announced as an average, like "6.9%," because the actual change on your shipments depends on lane, distance and weight. A short haul on a busy lane might see less. A long haul to a remote ZIP code might see more.

The detail that matters most: a GRI hits shippers who pay off the carrier's tariff or base rates. If you have a negotiated contract, your price usually changes at renewal instead, and that conversation can go higher or lower than the GRI. FedEx Freight said its 2027 increase covers roughly one-third of its revenue, which tells you how much freight still moves on tariff pricing.

A GRI can also touch more than the linehaul rate. Saia said its July increase would affect select accessorial and minimum charges, and Old Dominion's included a small bump in minimum charges. So a "4.9%" headline can turn into more on small shipments that already sit at the minimum.

2027 LTL Rate Increases by Carrier

These are the less-than-truckload increases we could confirm from the carrier itself or from a major trade publication. If a carrier isn't listed, it hasn't announced one publicly that we could verify.

Sources: FedEx Freight rate changes, ArcBest, Old Dominion, Saia via FreightWaves, Roadrunner via FreightWaves.

A few things worth noticing in that table.

FedEx Freight is the one to watch in January. Its 2026 increase was 5.9%. The 2027 increase is a full point higher, and FedEx Freight is the largest LTL carrier in the US by revenue. Its Mexico rates go up an average of 8.9% on the same date.

The other big increases already happened. If you ship with Saia, ArcBest or Old Dominion and pay tariff rates, your 2026 bills already carry the new prices. Those carriers have moved to roughly 11-month cycles, so their next increase may land before the end of 2027, not after.

Some national carriers haven't announced anything public. We couldn't find a public announcement of a current GRI from XPO, Estes, R+L or TForce Freight. If you use them, ask your rep for the effective date and percentage in writing.

Why LTL Carriers Are Raising Rates Earlier Each Year

GRIs used to arrive once a year, often in January. That pattern has broken. FreightWaves reported that LTL general rate increases are no longer an annual event. ArcBest's June increase came about six weeks ahead of its usual 11-month cadence. Saia's July increase came a quarter sooner than its 2025 one, and it was 1.2 points bigger. Old Dominion moved its date up by about four weeks compared with last year.

The reason is simple: carriers have pricing power right now. Tight truckload capacity has pushed freight back into LTL networks, and costs for labor, equipment and real estate keep climbing. The TD Cowen and AFS Freight Index had LTL rate per pound at 78.8% over its 2018 starting point during the July to September quarter, and expects 82.5% for the final quarter of 2026. That index tracks what shippers actually pay, so it includes fuel and accessorials, not only the GRI.

2027 Parcel Rate Increases: FedEx, UPS and USPS

Plenty of shippers move both parcels and pallets, so here are the parcel changes in the same place.

Sources: FedEx rate changes, UPS shipping rates, UPS small business rates via Supply Chain Dive, USPS fuel surcharge via Supply Chain Dive.

Note that FedEx parcel and FedEx Freight are now separate companies with separate increases on separate dates. If you have one contract covering both, you'll see two changes in early January. UPS moved its increase a week earlier than in recent years, so it lands before Christmas.

USPS is a different story. As of Nov. 9 it hasn't announced a January percentage increase for its parcel products. What it has announced is that starting in January 2027 its domestic parcel products (Ground Advantage, Parcel Select and the Priority Mail family) carry a fuel surcharge, calculated as a percentage of postage and updated weekly from Energy Information Administration fuel prices. The temporary 8% price change USPS added in April 2026 ends on Jan. 17, 2027.

Truckload Rates in 2027: What the Forecasts Say

Truckload carriers don't publish GRIs. Your rate is set in a contract or quoted on the spot market, so the useful numbers are forecasts and market data.

Contract rates: FTR's forecast, as presented in late October, shows contract rates excluding fuel running close to 20% above the prior year during 2027 before growth slows later in the year. Slower growth doesn't mean lower prices. It means rates level off at a higher plateau.

Spot rates: DAT reported dry van linehaul rates about 33% above last year in the last full week of October, with reefer up 31% and flatbed up 29%. DAT's 35-day forecast had van linehaul edging higher into early December.

What's driving it is supply, not a surge in demand. Federal enforcement on English proficiency and non-domiciled CDLs has pulled drivers out of the market, which we cover in our piece on the CDL crackdown and freight costs. If your truckload contracts renew in the first half of 2027, expect your carriers to ask for double-digit increases and plan for it now. Our guide to spot versus contract rates explains when each one makes sense.

Diesel and Fuel Surcharges in 2027

Fuel is the one cost that may actually come down. In its October 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA forecast retail diesel averaging $5.19 a gallon in 2026 and $4.49 in 2027. That's still well above 2025, and the EIA expects diesel to stay above $4 a gallon through 2027. For comparison, the weekly national average was $6.292 on Nov. 2, 2026.

This matters for your budget because most carriers bill fuel as a percentage of the linehaul charge, looked up weekly from the EIA diesel price. When diesel falls, that percentage falls with it. So a lower diesel price next year could offset part of a GRI, even though it won't offset all of it. Our explainer on how fuel surcharges work walks through the math with real carrier tables.

How Much Will Your Freight Budget Go Up in 2027?

Here's a quick way to estimate it. Start with what you spent on tariff-based LTL freight in the last 12 months, then multiply by your carrier's increase. The table uses three common increase levels.

One catch: because the fuel surcharge is a percentage of linehaul, a GRI raises your fuel dollars too. Here's an example with made-up but realistic numbers. A shipment has a $1,000 linehaul and a 50% fuel surcharge, so the bill is $1,500. After a 6.9% GRI, linehaul is $1,069 and fuel at the same 50% is $534.50, for a total of $1,603.50. The whole bill went up 6.9%, not just the linehaul. If diesel drops and the surcharge falls to 40% over the same period, that same shipment comes to $1,496.60, roughly where it started.

So the honest answer for most shippers is this. Budget the full GRI on tariff freight. Budget double digits on truckload contracts that renew in 2027. Treat lower diesel as a possible offset, not a plan.

How to Limit the Impact of a GRI

Get on a contract if you ship regularly. A GRI mainly hits tariff pricing. If you move freight every week, a negotiated price agreement usually beats paying list rates and taking every increase.

Ask for the effective date in writing. Carriers apply GRIs on different dates, and some don't announce them publicly. Know when your price changes so you can book ahead of it when that makes sense.

Check your minimum charges. If most of your shipments are small, minimum charge increases can matter more than the headline GRI.

Clean up the paperwork. Accurate weight, dimensions and freight class on the bill of lading prevent reweigh and reclass charges, which sit on top of whatever rate you're paying. Our LTL accessorial fee index shows what those extras cost at three national carriers.

Shop more than one carrier. Increases vary from 4.9% to 7.9% depending on carrier and tariff. A broker can compare several carriers on the same shipment. You can request an LTL quote from us and we'll show you the options side by side.

How We Track These Numbers

We only list an increase if the carrier announced it itself (a press release, investor release or rate-change page) or a major freight publication reported it. Each row links to that source. We don't estimate increases for carriers that haven't announced one. Figures were last checked on Nov. 9, 2026, and we'll update this page as carriers publish new increases and as the EIA releases new diesel forecasts.

Freight Rate Increase FAQ

What is the FedEx Freight GRI for 2027?

FedEx Freight rates increase an average of 6.9% on Jan. 8, 2027, for its main tariffs (FXF PZONE, FXF EZONE, offshore, intra-Canada and commodity rates). The FXF 1000 and 501 tariffs go up 7.9% on average, and Mexico rates 8.9%. FedEx Freight's previous increase, on Jan. 5, 2026, averaged 5.9%.

How much are LTL rates going up in 2027?

Announced LTL increases range from 4.9% (Old Dominion) to 7.1% (Saia) on main tariffs, with FedEx Freight at 6.9%. Most land between 5% and 7%. Your own increase depends on your lanes, your freight and your contract terms.

Does a general rate increase apply to contract customers?

Usually not directly. A GRI changes the carrier's published base rates. Contract customers typically see their price change at renewal, which is negotiated separately. FedEx Freight has said its 2027 GRI touches roughly one-third of its revenue.

Are UPS and FedEx raising rates in 2027?

Yes. UPS raises its daily rates by an average net 5.9% on Dec. 21, 2026, covering Ground, Air and International shipping. FedEx package list rates increase an average of 5.9% on Jan. 4, 2027.

Will truckload rates go up in 2027?

Most forecasts say yes. FTR expects contract rates excluding fuel to run close to 20% above the prior year during 2027 before growth slows. The main reason is tighter driver supply, not stronger demand.

Will diesel prices go down in 2027?

The EIA expects 2027 retail diesel to average $4.49 a gallon, lower than the $5.19 it projects for 2026, yet still above $4 throughout the year. Lower diesel would reduce fuel surcharges and offset part of a rate increase.

Cover photo: R9 Media Photo Collective on Pexels.