The Upply x Ti x IRU European road freight rates report on Q3 2026 found that both benchmarks levelled off at record levels. Contract rates rose to 148.9 index points, while spot rates followed the same path. The driver was cost: average diesel price reached a record EUR 2.27 per litre on 27 September in the EU, while road trade volumes between major EU economies fell 4.5% quarter on quarter.