In the last week, rates from Mumbai to most states decreased substantially.

"There were more vehicles in the market while there was hardly any return cargo to be moved towards Mumbai", said a city-based transporter.

The rates to Jammu & Kashmir dropped in the range of Rs 900 to Rs 3,000.

This was the maximum fall recorded in the last fortnight.

Truck rates from Mumbai to Himachal Pradesh fell in the band of Rs 300 to Rs 700. Rates to Delhi also registered a fall of Rs 1,200 to Rs 12,500, the highest decline in the last fortnight.

The lowest and the highest freight rates quoted in the market during the week for Delhi were Rs 11,500 and Rs 13,000, respectively.

Freight rates to Haryana suffered a major decline ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,900, while rates to Punjab decreased by Rs 500 to Rs 2,400. Bihar was the only state in the northern sector to which the truck rates reported anincrease ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 600, except for Patna and Hazaribagh.

Rates to these places declined by Rs 700 and Rs 500 to Rs 18,000.

Rates to Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) decreased by Rs 1,300 to Rs 12,700. Truck rates to the state declined by Rs 600 to Rs 1,800.

In the western region, rates to Gujarat showed a mixed trend.

Truck rates fluctuated in the band of Rs 200 to Rs 700.

Rates to Madhya Pradesh dropped by 1,000 to Rs 2,400, except for Indore, truck rates to which rose by Rs 400 to Rs 6,000.

In the east, rates to Jorhat and Dimapur (in Assam) increased by Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,500 to Rs 41,000 and Rs Rs 41,500, respectively.

Truck rates to Tinsukhia dropped by Rs 2,000 to Rs 42,000.

Rates to West Bengal firmed up slightly due to shortage of vehicles.

The freight rates to south declined in the band of Rs 100 to Rs 800.