Drayage Rate Index, September 2026 Report

What This Means for Industrial

Drayage is the connective tissue between port throughput and warehouse demand. When rates spike, it signals congestion at the terminals, chassis shortages, or fuel pressure, all of which ripple into industrial real estate decisions. Importers facing higher drayage costs tend to pull distribution closer to the ports or seek inland sites with rail access to bypass trucking entirely.

The CA diesel spike from $4.87/gal in February to $7.42/gal in April 2026 drove fuel surcharges from the low end of the range toward the high end, pushing all-in costs from roughly $600 to $850 per move. The summer moderation stalled in August: diesel rebounded to $6.88/gal, up 8.5% from July and 41% above February, while WTI firmed to $83.90/bbl. Fuel surcharges are drifting back toward the upper half of the 22-30% range, and all-in costs have moved back toward $750 per move. At 5,000 containers per year, the residual fuel premium still represents roughly $500K in additional landed cost annually compared to pre-spike levels.

C.H. Robinson’s September 2026 Edge Report characterizes major U.S. gateways as broadly stable, with performance differences driven by inland constraints rather than port operations: a container can clear its vessel on schedule and then lose time waiting for a chassis, rail departure, or terminal handoff. The National Drayage Spot Market Index is up 8.2% year over year as peak-season container flows compete for tightening trucking capacity, and strong trans-Pacific demand is expected to keep container activity elevated at Southern California gateways through China’s Golden Week. For industrial tenants, the August diesel rebound is a reminder that fuel relief is fragile, and the structural cost floor from CARB zero-emission mandates and chassis availability constraints means proximity to the San Pedro Bay complex remains a premium worth pricing into lease decisions.