The Load Letter — May 22, 2026

Heading into Memorial Day weekend with Brent crude at $103, truck insurance premiums outpacing inflation by five points, and tonnage at its highest level since late 2022 — the market looks stable on the surface and is tightening underneath it. Today's briefing covers why carriers running thin margins are about to get very selective about what freight they take and at what rate, the reefer seasonal handoff hitting full stride with Atlanta down 24% while California surges, and Robinson Fresh opening a cold-chain hub in South Texas as a signal that cross-border Mexico produce lanes are a lane worth building relationships in now. We also get into what the ATRI insurance data means for capacity on high-liability freight types, Home Depot's pro contractor pivot as a flatbed demand signal, and Port Houston's April slowdown with May volumes already recovering. Pay your best carriers well this weekend. They'll remember it Tuesday when everyone else is scrambling for trucks.