The Zhitong Finance App learned that in July 2026, the China Highway Logistics Freight Index, which was jointly surveyed by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and Lin'an Logistics Group, was 105.2 points, down 0.05% from the previous month and up 0.15% from last year. Looking at the month, the freight rate index rebounded month-on-month in the first and fifth weeks, while the freight rate index declined month-on-month in the second, third, and fourth weeks.
Figure 1 Road logistics rate index for each month since 2016
Table 1. China Highway Logistics Tariff Index for July 2026
Looking at the model index, the various model indices declined slightly from month to month, with mixed ups and downs compared to last year. Among them, the vehicle index, which mainly focuses on commodities and regional transportation, was 105.8 points, down 0.06% from the previous month and up 0.20% from the same period last year. In the LTL index, the LTL light goods index was 102.5 points, down 0.04% from the previous month and 0.09% from the same period last year; the LTL heavy goods index was 105.9 points, up 0.06% from the previous month and 0.23% from the same period last year.
Figure 2 China Highway Logistics Tariff Index by Vehicle Model for Each Month Since 2016
This month, due to seasonal factors, road freight market activity slowed down compared to the previous period, and the pattern of strong and weak supply became more prominent, driving overall freight prices to fluctuate slightly and fluctuate. Looking at demand, market demand is generally slowing down. Entering July, the off-season for traditional production and construction was compounded by extreme weather such as high temperatures and torrential rain. The operating rate of enterprises declined, and demand for transportation of bulk materials continued to weaken; demand in the consumer sector gradually returned to normal after the early centralized release. Consumption popularity declined this month and the momentum for upgraded consumption was limited, weakening the supporting effect on freight demand.
In terms of supply, the supply of capacity has improved due to the transformation of digital and platform-based organizational models, and continues to show high levels of saturation. The traffic volume of trucks on highways across the country stabilized at more than 53 million vehicles throughout the month. Overall, the road freight market slowed down in July, mainly due to seasonal fluctuations and extreme weather. The freight rate index declined slightly from month to month, but there was still a year-on-year increase, and consumer demand was better than traditional commodities.
Judging from later trends, China's economic recovery is on a solid foundation. As the impact of extreme weather gradually weakens, production and construction expand in August and demand brought about by summer vacation travel consumption is released in an orderly manner. The road freight market activity is expected to rise steadily, and the freight rate index may fluctuate slightly.