Reefer Demand Picks Up Regionally

The top lanes for spot refrigerated truckload freight saw a 10% increase in volume during the week ending March 12, reported DAT Solutions.

Reefer rates are trending up in California, Texas, and Florida—all key states for produce.

The national average reefer rate edged up 1 cent to $1.81 per mile compared to the previous week. The number of reefer load posts fell 2% while truck posts were unchanged. The reefer load-to-truck ratio dropped slightly to 3.0 loads per truck, meaning there were 3.0 refrigerated loads for every truck posted on the DAT network.

Rising markets for outbound spot reefer freight included Los Angeles, up 7 cents to $2.30 per mile; McAllen, Texas, up 5 cents to $1.86 per mile; and Lakeland, Fla., up 3 cents to an average of $1.31 per mile.

The number of van load posts declined 5% and truck posts increased 1%, causing the van load-to-truck ratio to fall 7% to 1.5 loads per truck. The national average van rate dipped 1 cent to $1.55 per mile.

In the flatbed segment, load volume rose 4% and capacity declined 5%, increasing the load-to-truck ratio 9% to 16.1. The national average flatbed rate dropped 1 cent to $1.82 per mile; regionally, spot flatbed freight was strongest in the Southeastern U.S.

Across all three equipment types, the number of available loads and capacity on the spot market was virtually unchanged compared to the previous week. The national average diesel price rose 8 cents to $2.10 a gallon. The increase led to 1-cent gain in fuel surcharges for vans and flatbeds.

Category: General Update