SimPL Freight Solutions Report Reveals Lowest LTL Claims Ratio Since 2020

SimPL Freight Solutions reports its Q1 2026 LTL Claims Ratio Index fell to 0.31%, the lowest level since 2020. The decline comes as the BLS LTL Producer Price Index climbed to 468.27 in March 2026, up 7.2% year-over-year, alongside falling claims payouts. End Quote

Freight claims are one of the few transportation costs that remain difficult for shippers to benchmark.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) July 11, 2026 - SimPL Freight Solutions released its Q1 2026 LTL Claims Ratio Index, which fell to 0.31%, the lowest level recorded since the index began in 2020. The decline extends a six-year downward trend in claims activity within the less-than-truckload (LTL) sector and comes as carriers post continued freight rate gains alongside a drop in total claims payouts.

Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, LTL carriers maintained pricing discipline during the first quarter: the BLS LTL Producer Price Index reached 468.27 in March 2026, up 7.2% from 436.68 in March 2025. At the same time, SimPL’s Claims Index declined to a record low of 0.31%, suggesting that price increases are a key contributor to the reduction in the claims ratio.

Carriers define the claims ratio as the amount they paid for claims divided by their revenue for that period. If revenue rises and claims payouts remain flat, the claims ratio will decrease. Thus, if LTL revenues increase and the overall claims ratio decreases, it is very possible that rates are increasing faster than payouts to customers. This could signal that the claims rate has decreased or that claims payouts are not keeping pace with the increase in LTL revenues, or a combination of the two.

SimPL has created a longitudinal claims benchmark that doesn’t exist otherwise. Freight claims represent millions of dollars in annual shipper losses, yet few objective industry benchmarks exist for comparing claims performance over time. SimPL’s quarterly index fills that gap by tracking claims ratios across multiple years, giving shippers an independent measure of cargo quality and carrier performance. “Freight claims are one of the few transportation costs that remain difficult for shippers to benchmark.”- Bill Jackson, Founder of SimPL Freight Solutions. “Our goal is to provide objective market data that helps companies understand whether changes in claims performance are isolated incidents or part of broader industry trends.”

SimPL is committed to improving transparency within the LTL freight sector. By publishing consistent, data-driven insights into claims activity, the company provides shippers with access to metrics that have historically been difficult to obtain or compare across carriers. This initiative aims to foster more productive discussions around claims reduction and empower businesses to make more informed decisions. For more information and to learn more about how SimPL’s data-driven solutions can benefit your business, please visit https://www.simplfreight.com/ltl-claims-index.

About SimPL
SimPL Freight Solutions leads the way in providing actionable insights and innovative solutions for the less-than-truckload (LTL) freight industry. By leveraging robust analytics and deep industry expertise, SimPL helps businesses navigate market complexities, optimize their logistics operations, and drive success through data.

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