Load posts declined last week but remained ahead of 2023 levels

DAT reports Flatbed loads: 649,631, down 8% week over week

Freight Trends from DAT One and DAT iQ.

Spot market data for Oct 20-26, 2024 (Week 43)

Load posts declined last week but remained ahead of 2023 levels
There were 1.94 million loads available on the DAT One network last week, down 10% compared to the previous week but 19% higher compared to Week 43 in 2023. There were 335,458 available trucks, a 1.5% decline week over week.

Dry Vans
▼  Van loads: 912,255, down 9% week over week
▼  Van equipment: 221,998, down 1.5%
—  Linehaul rate: $1.65 net fuel, unchanged 
▼  Load-to-truck ratio: 4.1, down from 4.4

Reefers
▼  Reefer loads: 381,447, down 15% week over week
▼  Reefer equipment: 69,033, down 0.5%
▼  Linehaul rate: $1.98 net fuel, down 1 cent
▼  Load-to-truck ratio: 5.5, down from 6.5

Flatbeds
▼  Flatbed loads: 649,631, down 8% week over week
▼  Flatbed equipment: 44,427, down 3%
▼  Linehaul rate: $1.97 net fuel, down 2 cents
▼  Load-to-truck ratio: 14.6, down from 15.4

Market Notes from Dean Croke, DAT industry analyst:

Promising trends in van freight: Excluding the pandemic-affected 2021 and 2022, van load posts for Week 43 were 27% higher than in previous years. Van capacity was flat compared to the previous week, pushing the dry van load-to-truck ratio lower. That’s still strong compared to other years: only 2021 had a higher Week 43 when the van ratio was 5.25.

Linehaul van rate was unmoved: At $1.65 a mile, the national average linehaul van rate was virtually unchanged for the fourth straight week. This is 3 cents lower than the three-month trailing average but 11 cents higher than the same time last year.

Reefer load posts cooled: National reefer load postings dropped by 15% last week after a surge the previous week. This decrease was partly due to an 8% drop in USDA produce volumes in California compared to the previous week. However, reefer load posts on DAT One were 6% higher than last year.

Flatbed rates continued to dip: The national average linehaul flatbed rate fell a penny to $1.97 a mile, 2 cents lower than the three-month trailing average. With load volume up 7% week over week and 3% month over month, weaker prices signal ample capacity in the market.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas: Situated within a one-day drive of major U.S. markets, including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., Allentown, Pa., is a vital distribution hub for e-commerce freight. Outbound van truckload volumes are about 25% higher than last year, leading to a 12% increase in spot rates last week. Notably, the average rate from Allentown to Charlotte, N.C.—a high-volume van lane—was the highest in 12 months at $1.77 per mile. DAT iQ RateView forecasts the rate to peak at around $2 a mile during the Christmas season—35 cents higher than last year.

 

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