NTI: National Truckload Index
A daily benchmark of national van spot truckload rates including fuel.
The National Truckload Index (NTI) is a daily-published, all-in spot truckload rate benchmark for 53' dry van moves across the United States. Unlike DAT's $/mile averages, NTI includes fuel surcharge and is reported as a total per-mile rate, making it the cleanest single-number proxy for what a shipper actually pays today.
Who publishes it
FreightWaves SONAR (NTI for all-in, NTIL for linehaul-only).
How to read it
- Reported as $/mile, including fuel.
- Compare NTI vs NTIL — the gap is the implied fuel surcharge.
- Day-over-day moves of $0.05+ are meaningful; intra-day noise is normal.
Why it matters
NTI is what spot-market freight actually costs in aggregate. Brokers benchmark buys against it; shippers benchmark sells against it. It's the truckload equivalent of a spot oil price.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between NTI and NTIL?
NTI includes fuel surcharge (all-in rate). NTIL is linehaul-only (excludes fuel). The spread between them is the implied national fuel surcharge.
How is NTI different from DAT's spot rate?
DAT publishes a weekly average $/mile derived from completed transactions and excludes fuel. NTI is published daily, derived from a wider data set, and includes fuel.
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