"Due to Diwali, most of our clients (read corporates) will have less business, which will have an adverse impact on the freight rates", said a transporter.

"Also our workers will go on leave normally at this time", he said adding that the freight rates were likely to remain subdued during the festive season.

In the last week, the rates from Mumbai to most of the states increased, except for the southern region.

The cargo movement and the availability of vehicles to southern states improved last week but resulted in lowering of the truck rates. The rates to south fell in the range of Rs 300 to Rs 1,000.

The truck rates from Mumbai to northern states remained tight in the last week. The only exception was Delhi were the rates fell by Rs 500 to Rs 15,500. The freight rates to Haryana too decreased by Rs 500. Rates to Punjab, however, firmed up by around Rs 400.

While ratesfrom Mumbai to Jammu went down by Rs 500 to Rs 19,000, rates to Srinagar increased by Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000.

According to Ranjit Singh Tara of Jammu Freight Carriers, the decrease in the cargo movement to Jammu was responsible for the fall in the freight rates.

Truck rates to Himachal Pradesh and Bihar increased in the range of Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. Rates to Uttar Pradesh fell in the range of Rs 200 to Rs 1,200.In the western sector, there was slight fall in the freight rates, except for Maharashtra were rates increased in the band of Rs 200 to Rs 1,000.

Truck rates from Mumbai to Assam saw a phenomenal increase due to shortage of vehicles. The rates to Assam increased by Rs 1,000 to Rs 4,000.The freight rates to Calcutta decreased by Rs 300 to Rs 20,200 while rates to Bhubaneshwar fell by Rs 1,000 to Rs 13,000.