Spot Flatbed Rates Continue to Climb

The combination of fewer loads and more available capacity helped send load-to-truck ratios lower compared to the previous week:

– Van: 5.4 available loads per truck, down 17%

– Flatbed: 40.9 loads per truck, down 12%

– Refrigerated: 10.1 loads per truck, down 19%

Spot flatbed load posts declined 7% and truck posts increased 6% as rebuilding efforts in Florida and the Gulf Coast continues to put pressure on the flatbed market. The national average spot flatbed price climbed again while van and reefer rates dipped:

– Van: $2.07/mile, down 2 cents but still relatively high

– Flatbed: $2.33/mile, up 2 cents to a new two-year high

– Reefer: $2.36/mile, down 1 cent

Spot van load posts declined 11% and truck posts increased 7%. Van rates moderated last week but the decline may be short-lived, with volumes surging in California and other Western states. The No. 1 market for van freight was Los Angeles, where the average rate jumped 4 cents to $2.41/mile. Rates were softer elsewhere:

– Columbus, Ohio: $2.62/mile, down 14 cents

– Buffalo: $2.56/mile, down 13 cents

– Dallas: $1.78/mile, down 1 cent

– Houston: $1.75/mile, unchanged

– Atlanta: $2.23/mile, down 6 cents

In the spot reefer market, load posts declined 13% and truck posts increased 7% from the previous week. Florida reefer volumes recovered last week but outbound rates were so low they actually contributed to a drop in the national average reefer rate.