Freight brokerage RXO said on Tuesday that its truckload spot rate index recorded its largest quarter-over-quarter increase in five years in the second quarter and continued to rise in the third quarter. The report showed that the index rose 32.4% year-over-year in the second quarter, higher than the 16.5% in the first quarter; as of now, it has risen 43% year-over-year in the third quarter. RXO executives noted that shippers' routing guides are facing "increasing pressure" as spot rates continue to outperform contract rates, and this trend is accelerating as peak season approaches. Meanwhile, increased regulatory enforcement and years of poor carrier economics have led to a continuous loss of capacity, tightening market supply, and an inflationary rate environment is expected to persist.