Posts Tagged “refrigerated truckload rates”
Spot truckload rates eased again during the week of February 15-21, as pricing settled into a more typical seasonal pattern.
Truckload freight trends from DAT One and DAT iQ
Spot market data for Feb. 15-21, 2026 (Week 8)
Broker-to-carrier 7-day average spot rates:
▼ Dry van: $2.40 per mile, down 3 cents week over week
▼ Refrigerated: $2.83 per mile, down 7 cents
▲ Flatbed: $2.63 per mile, up 3 cents
The total number of loads posted to the DAT One marketplace declined for the second straight week, falling 8% to 3.12 million. Truck posts decreased almost 4% to 211,147. Weather-driven volatility returns this week as a severe snowstorm hits the Northeast.
Van: Fewer loads
▼ Van loads: 1.3 million, down 11% week over week
▼ Van equipment: 152,400, down 3%
▼ Linehaul rate: $2.04 per mile, down 2 cents
Reefer: Mid-February softness
▼ Reefer loads: 541,500, down 18% week over week
▼ Reefer equipment: 37,088, down 6%
▼ Linehaul rate: $2.46 per mile, down 7 cents
Flatbed: Holding steady
— Flatbed loads: 1.28 million, virtually unchanged week over week
▼ Flatbed equipment: 21,659, down 5%
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.26 per mile, up 2 cents
Market analysis from Dean Croke, Industry Analyst, DAT Freight & Analytics
Florida’s surge in outbound reefer rates over the previous three weeks retreated. Spot rates on every lane out of Central and South Florida plunged 20 to 32% across every major destination.
The national average spot reefer rate fell 11 cents per mile over the previous two weeks, eliminating half the pricing gains made during Winter Storms Fern and Gianna. Despite cooling, the national average reefer spot linehaul rate was 53 cents higher year over year. Reefer load posts dropped for the fourth consecutive week, but were still 40% higher than last year. At the same time, equipment availability declined 20% year over year.
Van load posts fell 11% while truck posts only dropped 3%, tilting pricing leverage back toward shippers and brokers. However, last week’s mild 2-cent rate decline indicates that carriers are holding relatively firm. Compared to Week 8 last year, the average rate is up 40 cents.
Flatbed load post volumes held steady last week following four consecutive weeks of increases. This volume remains robust, sitting almost 50% higher than the same period last year.
About DAT Freight & Analytics
DAT Freight & Analytics operates DAT One, North America’s largest truckload freight marketplace; DAT iQ, the industry’s leading freight data analytics service; the Convoy Platform automated freight-matching service; Trucker Tools, the leader in load visibility; and Outgo, the financial services platform for truckers. Check out the latest DAT iQ Market Update: https://www.youtube.com/DATLoadBoards.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
BEAVERTON, Ore.–Demand for trucks on the spot market rose in December, suggesting solid retail and grocery sales ahead of the holidays, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the DAT One freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service.
The van and refrigerated Truckload Volume Index (TVI) increased modestly compared to November:
- Van TVI: 260, up 2.4%
- Refrigerated TVI: 220, up 3%
- Flatbed TVI: 237, down 5%
Year over year, the van and reefer TVI were up 12% and 20%, respectively, and the flatbed TVI was 7% higher.
“December freight volumes were strong despite the quirks of the calendar,” said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics, noting that Christmas fell on a Wednesday and there were only three non-holiday weeks between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. “The combination of seasonal volumes, fewer shipping days, and truckers taking time off for the holidays led to higher spot prices compared to November. Net fuel, the van rate was the highest monthly average since January 2023.”
Truckload rates shifted higher
The national average spot rates increased for all three equipment types:
- Spot van: $2.11 per mile ($1.74 net fuel), up 9 cents compared to November
- Spot reefer: $2.47 ($2.06 net fuel), up 2 cents
- Spot flatbed: $2.39 ($1.94 net fuel), up 2 cents
National average contract van and flatbed rates edged higher last month:
- Contract van rate: $2.42 per mile, up 2 cents
- Contract reefer rate: $2.74 a mile, unchanged
- Contract flatbed rate: $3.06 a mile, up 3 cents
“The difference between van and reefer spot and contract rates narrowed for the fourth straight month and was the smallest since March 2022, when spot rates entered a severe deflationary period,” Adamo said. “When the gap between spot and long-term contract rates is trending lower, it’s a signal that capacity is tightening and negotiating power is shifting toward truckload carriers.”
About the DAT Truckload Volume Index
The DAT Truckload Volume Index reflects the change in the number of loads with a pickup date during that month. A baseline of 100 equals the number of loads moved in January 2015, as recorded in DAT RateView, a truckload pricing database and analysis tool with rates paid on an average of 3 million monthly loads.
DAT benchmark spot rates are derived from invoice data for hauls of 250 miles or more with a pickup date during the month reported. Linehaul rates subtract an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge.
About DAT Freight & Analytics
DAT Freight & Analytics operates both the largest truckload freight marketplace and truckload freight data analytics service in North America. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations, and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights based on more than 400 million annual freight matches, and a database of $150 billion in annual freight market transactions.
Founded in 1978, DAT is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000. DAT is headquartered in Beaverton, Ore. Visit dat.com for more information