🚛 Freight, Fuel & Football – Week 8 Edition
- escobarlogistics1
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
⛽ FUEL UPDATE – Diesel Trying to Stabilize, But Not for Long
Diesel prices cooled slightly last week but are still trending higher year-over-year, adding pressure back to operating costs. Market chatter points to refinery maintenance + seasonal demand + geopolitical uncertainty combining to push diesel back above $3.80/gal in some high-volume freight markets.
🔧 What shippers & carriers should do now:
Revisit fuel surcharge agreements before winter volatility hits
Shorten rate lock windows (don’t get trapped on fuel-heavy lanes)
Explore backhaul optimization to balance fuel cost absorption
🚚 FREIGHT MARKET SNAPSHOT – Quiet Before the Storm?
We’re entering the official seasonal demand curve—construction is slowing for winter, but retail + industrial restocking is quietly crowding capacity.
Market Vibes Right Now:
✅ Spot rates: Flat to slightly down in most general dry van lanes
✅ Flatbed: Cooling nationwide, but Texas, Southeast, and Midwest lanes are heating up
✅ Reefer: Beginning seasonal climb ahead of holiday grocery freight
✅ Capacity: Still loose overall, but blue-collar industrial markets tightening.
Watch Lanes This Week
💡 Prospecting Tip of the Week
Target industrial metals suppliers, lumber distributors, and equipment rental companies—they’re already prepping for winter project repositioning and outbound relocations.
📦 COMMODITY SPOTLIGHT: Steel & Construction Materials
Steel prices have quietly started creeping back up after a summer dip. U.S. mill utilization rates are rising, and infrastructure projects are still creating volume. That means flatbed freight is starting to tighten, especially around:
Houston, Birmingham, Gary, IN, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Savannah
If you move steel coils, pipe, rebar, machinery, racking, or building materials—expect lane pressure over the next 3–5 weeks. This is a perfect time to lock in lane programs before Q4 volatility peaks.
🏈 NFL WEEK 8 – Real Teams Start Emerging
We’ve hit the part of the season where pretenders get exposed. Week 8 gave us separation football—dominant teams stayed dominant, and shaky teams got humbled.
Headlines From Week 8
Chiefs still look like the team to beat. Mahomes and that defense? Dangerous combo late in the year.
Baltimore is for real. Lamar looks efficient, the defense is elite, and they’re bullying teams.
Detroit is slipping. Inconsistent offensively and not built for shootouts.
Dallas looks alive again. But as always—can they do it when it matters?
Carolina, New England, Denver, Washington – certified pain.
Players Heating Up 🔥
CeeDee Lamb – back to alpha status
Lamar Jackson – MVP-type efficiency
Amon-Ra St. Brown – consistent dog
Garrett Wilson – quietly elite
Travis Etienne – underrated workhorse
Week 9 Games to Watch
📌 Ravens vs Bengals – divisional violence
📌 Chiefs vs Dolphins – track meet incoming
📌 Cowboys vs Eagles – NFC tone-setter
📌 Texans vs Jaguars – CJ Stroud revenge energy
Prediction of the Week: Texans upset Jacksonville. Book it. 📚
💭 CLOSING THOUGHT
In freight and football this week, one thing is clear—momentum is everything. Smart teams are planning before the chaos hits. Same goes for logistics. Control your lanes now. Don’t react—initiate.
If you're tightening up your Q4 freight plan, I'm happy to help review lanes, fuel strategy, backup routing, and carrier mix.
Let’s win the week.— Hector Escobar | Eterna Logistics
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