Tender lead times average 3.74 days, 11% above the 2022-2025 average of 3.37 days, indicating a six-year upward trend in how far in advance shippers are tendering loads.

This consistent increase in lead times, even during periods of loose capacity, shows a fundamental shift in shipper behavior beyond just immediate capacity anxiety. Shippers are using improved forecasting and S&OP to plan further out, and maintaining higher inventory levels due to geopolitical stability and trade policy volatility like new Section 301 tariffs. For carriers, longer lead times offer better equipment positioning and fewer service failures, but also allow shippers more time to consider intermodal, which explains the mode's growth.