Freight Pulse & Law Update: Reefer Rejections Hit 21% as DOT Puts Drug-Testing Paperwork Up for Comment (Nov. 10, 2026)

Truckload tender rejections are running at roughly double last year's level, yet the market shows little peak-season momentum. Meanwhile, DOT opened federal drug-testing paperwork rules for public comment.

What changed: Refrigerated tender rejections hit 21%, up from 12.6% a year ago, as Thanksgiving food shipments strain capacity, while overall truckload rejections hold near 12.8%, about double last year's 6%, with little tightening momentum. Separately, DOT is seeking comments through Jan. 8, 2027, on renewing the paperwork requirements behind federal drug and alcohol testing.

Why Are Reefer Rejections Twice Last Year's Level?

• Truckload tender rejections sit near 12.8%, roughly double the ~6% recorded at the same point last year, and slipped only about 1 percentage point over the past 20 days (FreightWaves).

• November's outbound tender volume index is averaging 11,434, up 12% from November 2025 and roughly 3% from October. The first meaningful demand build heading into the holidays (FreightWaves).

• Reefer rejections run 21% versus 12.6% last year, driven by Thanksgiving food shipments; forecasters call the developing super El Niño among the strongest in over 100 years, a winter wildcard for protect-from-freeze freight (FreightWaves).

• Capacity is concentrating in the middle: mid-sized fleets of 20 to 100 power units hold a record 470,402 tractors, while one-to-six truck fleets are down to 362,033, below their five-year average, and 1,000-plus fleets cut to 440,430, down 2.23% month over month (FreightWaves).

What Is DOT Asking About Drug-Testing Paperwork?

The renewal notice, published in the Federal Register on Nov. 9, covers documentation and reporting under 49 CFR Part 40. It includes 45 paperwork items and two forms: the Alcohol Testing Form and the Management Information System (MIS) Data Collection Form. This is an information-collection renewal, not a new testing mandate: it creates no new testing requirements and changes no testing procedures.

DOT estimates about 2.38 million respondents and 723,484 hours of administrative work annually, and minor revisions affect pipeline operators only, not trucking.

Comments are due Jan. 8, 2027, under docket DOT-OST-2026-4192 on Regulations.gov. Carriers with thin administrative teams can use the comment window to ask for simpler reporting without confusing paperwork changes with new testing procedures.

What Should Mid-Atlantic Shippers Do Before Thanksgiving?

Lock reefer and protect-from-freeze capacity early. The two weeks around Thanksgiving will be the clearest test of whether this market tightens into the 2027 contract season. For Mid-Atlantic shippers, the Maryland Transportation Authority's traffic-advisory feed shows no new lane closures posted this week; Thanksgiving-week schedules typically arrive within days, so check facility advisories before dispatch.

Ask third party logistics providers to confirm carrier vetting, reefer availability and shipment status before tenders move, and keep carrier and driver documentation current while enforcement channels stay active industry-wide.

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Sources: FreightWaves (Nov. 10, 2026), The Trucker and Federal Register (Nov. 9-10, 2026).