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Brazil road freight floor price methodology and market shift

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-14 19:01 UTC → 2026-09-30 20:06 UTC · added removed

Brazil road freight floor price methodology review and market shift

Researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) Esalq-Log group have released a study suggesting that the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) methodology for calculating minimum road freight floor prices in Brazil may systematically overestimate costs. The study identifies 17 areas for improvement, specifically noting that current parameters do not align with the reality of the Brazilian fleet. Key discrepancies include the use of 181 monthly working hours instead of 220, and a seven-year economic life for vehicles that fails to account for the national fleet's average age of 16.4 years. Researchers argue that increasing the monthly hour reference to 220 would better distribute fixed costs, such as vehicle depreciation and driver salaries, over more trips. Proposed adjustments to depreciation, capital return, and working hours could reduce floor prices by an average of 7.6%. In the grain transport sector, simulations suggest reductions between 6.38% and 11.04%. These findings have been presented during an ANTT regulatory review and are being utilized by the Parliamentary Agriculture Front (FPA) to advocate for regulatory changes. In a separate recent market development, developments, the Edenred Road Freight Index (IFR) reported that average road freight prices per kilometer rose by 1.04% in August to R$ 8.72. This increase occurred despite four consecutive months of declining diesel prices. Contributing factors included prices, driven by increased enforcement of the Minimum Freight Law (Law No. 15,485/2026) by the ANTT and rising demand following the end of the second corn harvest. Analysts suggest costs may remain high in September due to corn price fluctuations and climate uncertainties. Following a revision of diesel prices, ANTT issued Ordinance SUROC No. 22 to update the coefficients used for calculating the minimum road freight floor. The new calculation utilizes a national average reference price of R$ 7.33 per liter for S10 diesel, based on data recorded by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) between September 20 and 26, 2026. Minimum values continue to vary based on cargo type, axle count, distance, and operational configuration.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-30 20:06 UTC Brazil road freight floor price methodology and market shift
  2. 2026-09-14 19:01 UTC Brazil road freight floor price methodology review
  3. 2026-09-05 15:37 UTC Brazil road freight floor price methodology review

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