The midpoint of USDA’s shipper-paid range rose from US$8,400 to US$9,700 on one produce lane into Atlanta. If you’re offered US$8,200, get the pickup, delivery and extras in writing before you counter. The weekly range includes broker fees, so it can guide the conversation without telling you what your broker collected.
What changed on the Atlanta lane
USDA tracks refrigerated produce from a combined shipping area that spans California’s Imperial and Coachella valleys, central and western Arizona, and Mexico crossings through Calexico and San Luis. For a single delivery into Atlanta, the spot range rose from US$8,250–8,550 per load on November 3 to US$9,375–10,025 on November 10. Both weeks cover the same produce group and show adequate truck availability.
Averaging each pair of endpoints gives US$8,400 and US$9,700. The US$1,300 increase is about 15.5% of the earlier midpoint. For the same shipping area and produce group, USDA reported a 4% decline to Baltimore.
What an $8,200 offer could mean
Suppose a broker offers your truck US$8,200 for a comparable single-drop load. Hold the work and carrier pay fixed. If the broker’s gross margin is a share of the shipper’s payment, divide the offer by one minus that share. The three margins below are assumptions for the calculation.
| Assumed gross margin | Implied shipper payment | Against USDA’s Nov. 10 range |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | US$9,111.11 | Below |
| 15% | US$9,647.06 | Within |
| 20% | US$10,250.00 | Above |
At 15%, US$8,200 ÷ 0.85 gives US$9,647.06. That fits the published range, but only the parties to the shipment can confirm the actual payment and fee. Subtracting your offer from USDA’s midpoint would treat a market observation as the price of this particular load.
What to confirm before you counter
USDA describes single-destination spot shipments in typical 48- to 53-foot refrigerated trailers. Shippers or receivers pay the reported amount, including broker fees. Extra charges for terminal-market deliveries, multiple pickups or multiple drops are generally excluded. Get the actual pickup district, commodity, temperature setting, delivery appointment and number of stops. Ask which fuel and accessorial payments the written offer includes.
To price the work, include loaded and empty miles, refrigeration fuel, paid and unpaid waiting, and where the delivery leaves you for the next load. If US$8,200 falls below your required pay, counter from that shortfall and the written terms. You can explain the costs without guessing what the broker earned.
Sources & method
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service — November 10 produce truck pricesPDF dated November 11, posted in USDA’s public archive November 12. Pages 1–2 give the scope, the November 10 prices and USDA’s weekly percentage changes. Published November 12, 2026.
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service — November 3 produce truck pricesNovember 4 report, pages 1–2. Same shipping area, commodity group and Atlanta destination. All figures are US dollars per load. Published November 4, 2026.
- USDA Market News archive — Specialty Crops National Truck Rate ReportUnder Published Date, choose November 12, 2026 for November 10 prices or November 4, 2026 for November 3 prices. Open “view report” and see page 2 for the Atlanta and Baltimore rows.
- TruckMargin freight broker margin calculatorUse US$8,200 for carrier pay and run 10%, 15% and 20% separately. Total miles is optional. Compare the “Est. shipper paid” result.
Published November 14, 2026. For a correction, use the contact details on our About page and include the article URL and figure in question.