Spot Market Truck Freight and Rates Drop

Spot market freight volume in April declined 10 percent compared to March, and year over year, freight availability declined 27 percent compared to the strong volume of 2014.

Put into perspective, when compared to 2013 and all previous years, April 2015 volume exceeded same-month totals. By equipment type, freight volume according to DAT North American Freight Index declined 23 percent for vans and 25 percent for refrigerated (“reefer”) trailers compared to March, but flatbed freight availability increased 18 percent month over month.

Rates by equipment type on the spot market followed the trends in volume, slipping 2.5 percent for vans and 0.5 percent for reefers, while flatbed rates rose 0.5 percent, compared to March.

Compared to April 2014, freight volume declined for all equipment types: down 18 percent for vans, 4.9 percent for reefers, and 38 percent for flatbeds. Line haul rates trended up, however: van rates rose 4.6 percent, reefers were up 3.4 percent, and flatbed rates rose 3.9 percent, compared to April 2014.

Although the line-haul portion of the rate increased year over year, carriers received a lower total rate due to declining fuel prices and associated surcharges. The total rate declined on both a month-over-month and year-over-year basis for all equipment types.

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