The first half of May 2026 told a clear story across the bulk trucking network. Rates are climbing, volume is growing, and capacity near origin markets is tightening. If you move corn, sand, aggregates, or any other bulk product across the country, the numbers from the past two weeks will shape your decisions for the rest of the month.

This update covers 18,220 verified bulk freight loads hauled across 47 origin states through May 15, 2026. Here is what the data shows and what it means for carriers, brokers, and shippers.

The Headline Numbers

The median per-mile rate across all bulk freight reached $5.03 in the first 15 days of May. That is a 7.7% jump from April 2026 and a 23.0% increase from May 2025. For context, the trailing 12-month median sits at $4.20, so the current reading runs well above the long-run average.

Volume kept pace with rates. Through May 15, the network processed 18,220 loads, a 5.1% increase compared to the same 15-day window in April (17,332 loads). Corn led every product by volume with 1,713 loads, and Aggregates and Industrial commodities held the largest share of the mix at 32% of all loads.

Three corridors stood out for concentration. Oklahoma to Oklahoma moved 1,624 loads, Kansas to Kansas moved 1,339, and Indiana to Indiana moved 1,202. Together those three intrastate lanes accounted for 23% of all flow this month. Short haul, in-state moves continue to define the bulk freight market.

Where the Market Sits Right Now

Three composite gauges help frame the broader picture. Volume momentum, which compares the trailing three months to the three months before, sits at +17.6%. Rate momentum reads +3.3%. Capacity tightness, which tracks the spread between short-haul and long-haul rates, sits at +4.8%. All three point to a heating market, though each remains in the stable band rather than running hot.

When short-haul rates outpace long-haul, it usually signals that capacity is tight near origin points. That is what is happening right now. Carriers servicing in-state and short corridor lanes are pricing those moves higher because demand for that capacity has grown faster than the supply of trucks willing to take it.

Reading the Commodity Groups

Not every product moved the same way. Aggregates and Industrial commodities led the market with an +8.5% MoM rise in median per-mile rates. Grain rates climbed +7.8% MoM. Feed Ingredients went the other direction, down 3.2% MoM, even though most of the network pushed higher.

Corn, the highest-volume product in the network with 1,713 loads, posted a +6.7% MoM rise in per-mile rates and a +20.8% year-over-year gain. Sand led every single product with a +20.6% MoM move, the strongest performance of the month. On the other side, Rock rates fell 5.2% MoM, the steepest single-product decline.

Regional Patterns

South Central origins (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico) led every region this month. Median rates from South Central pickups rose 24.2% over the previous month and 24.5% over the trailing six months. Midwest origins (the corn belt states including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota) climbed 10.7% MoM and 8.0% over the trailing six months. The West region softened, with rates down 1.9% MoM.

Load volume across the full network ran 15.9% above the trailing 12-month average for the same calendar window. Demand is running ahead of the seasonal trend that bulk operators usually expect at this point in the year.

Fuel Holds Steady

Diesel pricing offered a rare bit of stability. The U.S. average retail price for on-highway diesel sat at $5.64 per gallon as of May 11, 2026. That is up just 0.6% from a month ago, though the three-month change still reads +52.9% and the 12-month change reads +63.4%. Fuel remains the second-largest variable cost for bulk carriers, and the recent flat reading takes some of the pressure off rate floors that climbed hard through March and April.

What This Means for the Rest of May

The first half of May 2026 favored carriers with capacity in the South Central and Midwest regions, especially those running corn, sand, and aggregate lanes. Brokers managing freight in those markets should expect continued rate pressure through the second half of the month, particularly on intrastate corridors. Shippers with flexible pickup windows in the West may find more carrier availability than they did in April.

The combination of rising rates, growing volume, and tightening capacity near origins points to a market that is still building momentum rather than peaking. The pattern matches what bulk freight typically sees as planting and construction season layer onto the existing flow of feed, grain, and industrial materials.

Going Deeper Than the Monthly Snapshot

This monthly update covers the broad strokes, but the bulk freight market moves daily, and one number per commodity does not capture the spread that matters when you are quoting a real lane. BulkInsights extends the data behind this report into a live platform with rate quoting tools, lane analysis, and fuel adjusted estimates across every commodity in the network.

If you want to see how the May 2026 numbers translate to your specific lanes and your specific loads, you can book a 30 minute walkthrough at bulkfreightinsights.com ↗, or reach out to me directly.