ABF Freight Hikes LTL Rates by 5.4 Percent

ABF Freight, an ArcBest company, is keeping pace with rival less-than-truckload carriers FedEx Freight and UPS Freight as it plans to increase general rates and charges as of November 3, 2014. Rates will increase by roughly 5.4%, although the carrier says the effect on specific lanes and shipments will vary.

In September, FedEx Freight announced that it will be raising LTL shipping rates by 4.9% as of January 5, 2015.

Then UPS Freight followed earlier this month with its announcement of a 4.9% rate hike effective Dec. 29, 2014.

Though ABF’s announcement followed both FedEx’s and UPS’s, its rate increase will go into effect roughly two months before its two competitors. So timing really is everything when it comes to LTL shipping.