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Market Rates for carriers

When Market Rates is on for your company, look up a lane's rate range on the Rates tab. It is free for carriers for a limited time.

Carrier
Updated
October 2, 2026

In 5 steps

  1. Find the Rates tab
  2. Enter the lane
  3. Pick a currency and get rates
  4. Read the band
  5. Use it when you bid

Market Rates gives carriers a reference range for a lane. Depending on how your organization is set up, a lookup can use live or simulated data. For carriers, Market Rates is available free for a limited time. You find it on the Rates tab, where a banner reads "Available free for a limited time".

Step 1: Find the Rates tab

When Market Rates is on for your company, a Rates tab with a New badge appears in the menu on the left (at the bottom of the screen on a phone). If you do not see it, it is not turned on for your company yet.

Example data. Top: the whole app, dimmed, with the Rates tab in the menu on the left highlighted and marked Step 1. Bottom, zoomed in: the menu with Find Freight, Chat and Rates with a New badge, and beside it the banner Welcome to Cargado Market Rates, Available free for a limited time, above the trailer and Origin fields. Badge 1 marks the Rates tab. Badge 2 marks the banner.
  1. The Rates tab with its New badge: shows when Market Rates is on for your company.
  2. The banner: Market Rates is available free for a limited time.

Step 2: Enter the lane

Pick a trailer from Select trailer type, then choose the Origin and Destination from the suggestions. Places in the United States, Mexico and Canada are supported. On a lane between Mexico and the United States or Canada, choose a crossing from Select border crossing. When Cargado has recommendations for the lane, they are at the top and the first one is already selected.

Example data. Top: the whole app, dimmed, with the lane fields of the Rates page highlighted and marked Step 2. Bottom, zoomed in: the fields stacked as on a phone: Dry Van, Monterrey, NLE, MEX, the swap button, Chicago, IL and Laredo, TX - Intl Bridge. Badge 1 marks the trailer type. Badge 2 marks Origin and Destination. Badge 3 marks the border crossing.
  1. Select trailer type.
  2. Origin and Destination, chosen from the suggestions.
  3. Select border crossing, on a lane between Mexico and the United States or Canada. When there are recommendations, they are at the top and the first one is already selected.

Step 3: Pick a currency and get rates

Choose USD, MXN or CAD, then click Get rates.

Example data. Top: the whole app, dimmed, with the currency select and the Get rates button at the right end of the form highlighted and marked Step 3. Bottom, zoomed in: the USD select and the blue Get rates button. Badge 1 marks the currency. Badge 2 marks Get rates.
  1. The currency: USD, MXN or CAD.
  2. Get rates.

Step 4: Read the band

A successful lookup gives three numbers for the latest period returned:

  • Low (p25): a quarter of the data behind the lookup sits at or below this.
  • Mid (p50): the median.
  • High (p75): a quarter sits at or above this.

The figures are a total per load and include fuel. When a confidence label is shown (Strong Confidence, Medium Confidence or Lower Confidence), it tells you how much uncertainty there is around the median, and when there is enough history, History: Trailing 12 weeks shows how the lane has moved. See How to read a market rate for more.

Example data. Top: the whole app, dimmed, with the result for Monterrey, NLE to Chicago, IL highlighted and marked Step 4. Bottom, zoomed in: the lane header with 1,390 mi, Laredo, TX - Intl Bridge and Dry Van, the Rate range card with Strong Confidence, View market boundaries, and Low $3,100, Mid $3,400, High $3,800, then the History: Trailing 12 weeks card with its chart. Badge 1 marks Low, Mid and High. Badge 2 marks the confidence label. Badge 3 marks History: Trailing 12 weeks.
  1. Low, Mid and High: the latest period returned, per load, fuel included.
  2. The confidence label: how much uncertainty there is around the median.
  3. History: Trailing 12 weeks: how the lane has moved.

Step 5: Use it when you bid

A bid near the Mid is near the median of the band. A bid well above the High is above most of the data behind it. Your own costs still come first. The band is a reference; it does not calculate what your truck needs to earn.

Tip: everyone at your company sees the same list of past lookups under the form, so a dispatcher can reuse a lookup a teammate already ran.

Good to know

  • No rate on a lane: a lane can come back with We don't have enough data on this lane instead of a band.

Still stuck?

Email us and a person on our team will answer. Send the posting link or a screenshot if you have one.

carriers@cargado.comfor carrierssuccess@cargado.comfor brokers and shippers

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