Spot Truckload Volume Remains Strong

After spiking the week before, the number of available loads on the spot truckload freight market edged down 9% during the week ending Dec. 10, according to DAT Solutions.

Spot freight volume remains higher than usual given the time of year, although load-to-truck ratios dipped across all three equipment types:

+ Van L/T: 3.4 (down 28% from a 30-month high)
+ Reefer L/T: 6.1 (down 25%)
+ Flatbed L/T: 17.7 (down 6%)

With volumes down and the number of posted trucks up 15% last week, national average van and refrigerated rates declined slightly:

+ Vans: $1.73/mile, down 1 cent after an 8-cent increase the previous week
+ Reefers: $1.95/mile, down 1 cent
+ Flatbeds: $1.92/mile, up 1 cent

Fuel Increases Again: Spot TL rates include a fuel surcharge, which increased 1 cent on average after the national average price of on-highway diesel climbed another cent to $2.49/gallon.
Van Posts Drop 17%: The number of van load posts fell 17% and truck posts increased 15% week over week. At $2.10/mile, Los Angeles is the biggest van market where outbound rates are lower now than they were a month ago. Other key van lanes showed solid outbound rates for the season despite declines in some cases:

+ Denver, $1.38/mile, up 10 cents
+ Chicago, $2.09/mile, down 2 cents
+ Charlotte, $1.98/mile, down 4 cents
+ Buffalo, N.Y., $2.18/mile, up 4 cents
+ Houston, $1.51/mile, up 1 cent

Reefer Posts Fall 15%: The number of reefer load posts fell 15% and truck posts increased 15% last week. Idaho is at the epicenter of reefer activity with 80 million pounds of potatoes shipping out every week. Last Friday, the load-to-truck ratio in Twin Falls hit 18.5; by comparison, the national average is 6.1 reefer loads per truck.
Flatbed Freight Jumps: The number of flatbed load posts increased 7.5% and truck posts increased 14% compared to the previous week. Several outbound markets are showing signs of recovery in December:

+ Phoenix, $1.83/mile, down 1 cent last week but up over the last month
+ Rock Island, Ill., $2.37/mile, up 2 cents
+ Cleveland, $2.21/mile, up 5 cents
+ Savannah, Ga., $2.36/mile, up 9 cents
+ Harrisburg, Pa., $3.17/mile, up 13 cents

Rates are derived from DAT® RateView, which provides real-time reports on prevailing spot market and contract rates, as well as historical rate and capacity trends. All reported rates include fuel surcharges.

 

 

Tags: DAT Solutions, spot freight

Category: Featured