Northwest freight rejections jump to 20.3% while Midwest holds steady at 18.6%

FreightWaves data show the Northwest region’s tender rejection rate rose to 20.27% on Oct. 8, more than triple its level a year earlier. The Midwest followed at 18.61%, keeping the region above 15% since February, while other regions stayed between 7.6% and 13.1%. The Northwest surge is driven by a reefer‑focused harvest boom, whereas the Midwest’s tightness spans all equipment types.

In the Northwest, reefer rejections averaged about 41% in October, up from roughly 17% in July, while van rejections remained below 5% and reefer tender volume increased 65% since July and 35% versus a year ago. Van volume in the Northwest fell 11% compared with last year, reflecting a shift toward refrigerated loads for the apple and potato harvest in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In the Midwest, van rejections hovered near 15% — about two and a half times the prior year’s level — and reefer rejections were near 29%, up from 15%, with overall tender volume up roughly 10% year over year, outpacing the 8% national gain. National tender rejections have eased to about 13.8% over the past two weeks, masking the regional divergence.

Before August, the Northwest was one of the loosest regions in the country, with rejection rates between 6% and 9% from January through July. The Midwest had been the tightest large region for most of 2026, maintaining rejection rates near or above 15% since February. Nationally, tender rejections have eased to about 13.8% over the past two weeks. The pattern mirrors last year’s harvest, though the 2026 spike arrived earlier and reached higher levels.

What we know

• Northwest tender rejection rate reached 20.27% on Oct. 8.

• Midwest tender rejection rate was 18.61%.

• Northwest reefer rejections averaged 41% in October.

• Midwest van rejections were near 15%, about two and a half times last year’s level.

• Domestic intermodal volume through the Atlanta and Dallas hubs was up 15% to 20% year over year this past week.