The main reason for the increase will be the heavy rains which may further block the movement of cargo and vehicles.

"There is an extreme shortage of vehicles going to states including Assam, Himachal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir", said AK Singh, manager, Assam Delhi Roadways.

The rates to south are also likely to go up in the week ahead if the transporters divert their south-bond vehicles to north. "Our vehicles have to stay in queue for three to four days just to gain entry in states affected by floods", he said.

Due to excessive rains, the truck rates to most of the country, except south, witnessed a substantial hike in the last week.

The Mumbai to Jammu & Kashmir moved up by around Rs 2,000 while rates to Himachal Pradesh increased in the range of Rs 700 to Rs 2,400. Freight rates to Delhi were pegged at Rs 15,000 during theweek-end, an increase of Rs 2,000 while some transporters had also reported truck rates of Rs 16,000 from Mumbai to Delhi.

Truck rates to Haryana and Punjab increased in the range of Rs 200 to Rs 1,700. The rates to Patna went up from Rs 17,000 to Rs 18,200 and rates to Muzaffarpur increased by Rs 2,000 to Rs 20,000.

Rates to Uttar Pradesh too shot up by around Rs 800. In the western region, rates to Gujarat increased steadily by Rs 300 to Rs 500. Rates from Mumbai to Madhya Pradesh by Rs 1,000. Mumbai to Rajasthan rates were also buoyant and witnessed a minimum rise of Rs 1,000. Freight rates from Mumbai to various cities in Maharashtra increased moved in the narrow band of Rs 100 to Rs 200.

In the eastern sector, Mumbai to Assam rates witnessed a historic rise of Rs 7,000. Mumbai to Guwahati and Jorhat touched Rs 40,000 and Rs 42,000, marking an increase of Rs 8,000 and Rs 7,000.

Freight rates to southern states remained same.