Posts Tagged “truckload freight”
A combination of heavy snow, ice accumulation, and dangerous cold made roads treacherous during Winter Storm Fern and for days after, causing widespread paralysis of supply chains and boosting demand for available trucks.
The weather heated up the spot truckload freight market during Jan. 25-31 (Week 5). The total number of loads posted to the DAT One load board topped 3.6 million, a 40% increase from the previous week, and truck posts dropped 18% to 200,769—almost exactly what we’d expect from a storm of Fern’s magnitude. National average spot rates were higher across all three equipment types.
Freight trends from DAT One and DAT iQ
Spot market data for Jan. 25-31, 2026 (Week 5)
Broker-to-carrier 7-day average spot rates:
▲ Dry van: $2.38 per mile, up 11 cents week over week
▲ Refrigerated: $2.85 per mile, up 15 cents
▲ Flatbed: $2.53 per mile, up 1 cent
Dry van
▲ Van loads: 1.65 million, up 55% week over week
▼ Van equipment: 142,817, down 19% week over week
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.01 per mile, up 11 cents week over week
Reefer
▲ Reefer loads: 1 million, up 71% week over week
▼ Reefer equipment: 36,670, down 10% week over week
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.49 per mile, up 15 cents week over week
Flatbed
▲ Flatbed loads: 1 million, up 5% week over week
▼ Flatbed equipment: 21,282, down 18% week over week
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.16 per mile, up 1 cent week over week
Note: Linehaul rates exclude an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge.
Analysis from Dean Croke, Industry Analyst, DAT Freight & Analytics
Last week’s 11-cent increase in the national average spot dry van rate was the largest week-over-week increase in more than three years. That’s nearly 30 cents higher year-over-year and exceeds the five-year average by 36 cents, excluding the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years.
The relative scarcity of available trucks was exacerbated in the refrigerated market as shippers competed for insulated trailers to protect dry van freight from freezing. The freeze-risk pricing premium sent spot reefer rates soaring last week.
At $2.16 per mile, the national average spot flatbed rate increased by 1 cent last week, a modest boost compared to the van and reefer markets. The rate is 19 cents higher year over year, however, and exceeds the five-year average (excluding 2020 and 2021) by 25 cents.
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 every Tuesday or on demand: https://www.youtube.com/DATLoadBoards.
Load and truck posts refer to the number of posts on the DAT One marketplace during Week 5 (Jan. 25-31). Load volume refers to the number of loads moved. Rates are aggregated from invoice data submitted to DAT iQ. dat.com
ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Flock Freight and Drive Research has released a study revealing 43% of truckloads in 2023 moved partially empty, with an average of 29 linear feet of unused deck space.
The inefficiency equates to 1 in 4 truckloads moving empty, representing a significant economic and environmental concern.
Called “Wasted Space, Wasted Dollars: The Economic Impact of Inefficient Freight,” the study examines the costs associated with underutilized truckload space and the inefficiencies of less-than-truckload shipping, according to a news release. It surveyed 1,000 transportation decision-makers in the U.S. from various industries, providing a view of the challenges and strategies employed to drive efficiency.
“Historically, the U.S. truckload market has been locked into a binary concept of ‘full’ or ‘empty’ when it comes to trailer capacity,” Chris Pickett, chief operating officer at Flock Freight, said in the release. “We are challenging both shippers and carriers alike to rethink this. With 43% of truckloads moving only partially full, there’s a massive opportunity for businesses to maximize trailer utilization and reduce overall transportation spend with our Shared Truckload solution.”
The research highlights the hidden costs of less-than-truckload shipping, with the average enterprise shipper incurring up to $6.3 million annually in damage and loss claims, the release said. Additionally, unexpected accessorial fees and the time spent by employees managing these issues add to the financial burden on businesses.
Exiting a deflationary phase of the truckload freight cycle in 2024, the industry braces for heightened economic impacts, the release said. As a result, 90.8% of shippers have raised their budgets by 1% to 10% to navigate the expected market shifts.
The study also found growing concerns around fraud and theft within the freight industry. In 2023, 89% of shippers were affected by these issues, with 1 in every 43 shipments impacted, the release said, which leads to direct financial losses and causes a ripple effect of reduced earnings, unexpected fines and a decline in customer satisfaction.
The whitepaper sheds light on the problems and presents innovative solutions, and it serves as a resource for shippers seeking to uncover new opportunities to reduce costs within their transportation programs, the release said.
BEAVERTON, OR — Spot truckload rates rose in December, and the gap between spot and contract van rates closed to its narrowest point since March 2022 when prices to move truckload freight were near all-time highs, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the DAT One online freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service.
A convergence of spot and contract rates would signal an end to the current cycle of falling prices for truckload services.
“At 39 cents, the spread between spot and contract van rates is still substantial but was down 7 cents compared to November,” said DAT Chief of Analytics Ken Adamo. “The price to move van freight under contract hit its lowest point in nearly three years. Entering 2024, shippers are in a strong position as they negotiate contract rates, and carriers on the spot market have some optimism that the market will turn.”
Freight volumes fell for all three equipment types
The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI) fell for all three equipment types compared to November:
- Van TVI: 221, 8.7% lower month over month
- Refrigerated TVI: 182, down 5.7%
- Flatbed TVI: 203, down 14.7%
The van and refrigerated (“reefer”) indexes were down nearly 2% year over year.
“Lower van freight volumes suggest that shippers drew from inventory ahead of the holidays,” said Adamo. “Disappointing freight volumes and less demand for over-the-road truckload services tempered the bump in spot rates.”
Spot rates increased for all three equipment types
Spot line-haul rates, which subtract an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge, increased for all three equipment types compared to November:
- Line-haul van rate: $1.65 per mile, up 7 cents
- Line-haul reefer rate: $1.98, up 4 cents
- Line-haul flatbed rate: $1.87, up 4 cents
Changes to DAT’s broker-to-carrier benchmark spot rates were mixed. The spot van rate averaged $2.10 per mile, up 3 cents compared to November. The reefer and flatbed rate dipped 2 cents to $2.47 and $2.41 a mile, respectively.
he contract van rate fell 4 cents to $2.49 per mile, the lowest since February 2021. The reefer rate was down 6 cents to $2.88 a mile, while the flatbed rate fell 3 cents to $3.14.
Load-to-truck ratios indicated a soft market for carriers
DAT’s national average load-to-truck ratios slumped, driven by the decline in freight volumes:
- Van ratio: 1.9, down from 2.1 in November and from 3.4 in December 2022
- Reefer ratio: 3.4, down from 4.4 in November and from 5.7 year over year
- Flatbed ratio: 5.1, down from 5.9 in November and from 9.8 year over year
Load-to-truck ratios measure the number of loads posted to the DAT One marketplace relative to the number of trucks. Changes in the ratio typically reflect the pricing environment for truckload services on the spot market.
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; the actual index number is normalized each month to accommodate any new data sources without distortion. 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 loads per month.
Spot truckload rates are negotiated for each load and paid to the carrier by a freight broker. National average spot rates are derived from payments to carriers by freight brokers, third-party logistics providers and other transportation buyers for hauls of 250 miles or more with a pickup date during the month reported. DAT’s rate analysis is based on $150 billion in annualized freight transactions.
During the next couple of months Mexican asparagus will be crossing the border at someplace besides Nogales….Also, 2017 closed out the year with some record setting trucking freight rates in the U.S.
Asparagus out of the Mexico’s Caborca region in northern Sonora, Mexico will be crossing the U.S. during February and March. Volume is expected to increase 15 percent over last year. Quality is reported to be good.
“The weather in the Caborca region has been excellent and pending continued good weather, we anticipate promotable quantities in February and March in a full range of sizes,” said Katiana Valdes of Crystal Valley Foods of Miami in a news release. The company is a grower/shipper and importer. Mexican asparagus is imported as product from Peru comes to a seasonal low. The Mexcian “grass” crosses the border into the U.S. through San Luis, AZ, located just south of Yuma.
Yuma vegetables – grossing about $8700 to New York City.
Record December Freight Rates are Reported
According to a press release by DAT, a load board, freight rate and trucking trends company, the average reefer rate for December was $2.46 per mile, 3 cents higher than the November average and another all-time high. Spot truckload van rates averaged $2.11 per mile nationally, up 4 cents compared to November and the highest monthly average since DAT started tracking freight rates in 2010.
Truckload freight availability in December was cushioned by retail shipments, demand for fresh and frozen foods, and e-commerce fulfillment. Available truckload freight was 25 percent higher than in December 2016.
However, overall freight volume in December fell 3 percent compared to a strong November, according to the release. Some of the factors in that decline were inclement weather in parts of the U.S and the December 18th electronic logging device mandate. That combination of strains on equipment and drivers meant that shippers and freight brokers paid premiums for available trucks.