Spot Reefer Freight Shows Strength

Refrigerated freight volume showed unexpected strength as the number of posted reefer loads dipped just 1% during the week ending Dec. 26, according to DAT Solutions.

A 20% drop is more typical of a four-day work-week.

The number of reefer equipment posts declined 32%, indicating a reduced work schedule for truckers during the holidays. This produced a reefer load-to-truck ratio of 5.2, meaning there were 5.2 reefer loads for every truck posted on the DAT network, a 45% increase compared to the previous week. The national average reefer rate was unchanged at $1.93 per mile.

Van load posts fell 22% while posted van capacity declined 33%, pushing the van load-to-truck ratio up 17% to 1.9. The national average van rate was unchanged at $1.71 a mile despite a 1-cent reduction in the fuel surcharge.

Flatbed load posts fell 34% and posted capacity was off by 40%. While the national flatbed load-to-truck ratio rose 12% to 7.5, the average flatbed rate fell 1 cent due to a change in the fuel surcharge.

The price of diesel continued to slide, falling 4 cents more to a national average of $2.24 per gallon.

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