Spot Truckload Freight Down
Spot truckload freight volume followed a seasonal pattern, down 12% during the week ending Jan. 28, said DAT Solutions.
There was 4.8% more available capacity compared to the previous week.
The market remains generally stronger than usual for this time of year. The national average van and refrigerated freight rates each fell 1 cent per mile while the national average flatbed rate gained 1 cent.
VAN TRENDS: Van load posts were 9% lower last week and truck posts increased 4%, which sent the van load-to-truck ratio down 13% to 2.5 loads per truck. The national average van rate edged down 1 cent to $1.69/mile.
A combination of more capacity and less urgency in the supply chain in January pushed van rates lower on high-traffic lanes:
– Los Angeles, $1.95/mile, down 3 cents
– Chicago, $2.01/mile, down 6 cents
– Dallas, $1.51/mile, down 4 cents
– Atlanta, $1.88/mile, down 1 cent
– Buffalo, $1.94/mile, down 3 cents
Houston ($1.54/mile) was one of the few major van markets where prices did not decline last week. Several outbound lanes from Dallas failed to keep pace, though:
+ Dallas-Chicago paid an average of $1.13/mile, a penny lower
+ Dallas-Houston dropped 6 cents to $2.09/mile
REEFER TRENDS: While volumes improved on the top 72 lanes for refrigerated freight, the reefer load-to-truck ratio fell 20% to 5.3 nationally. The number of posted reefer loads was down 14% and capacity rose 8%. The average reefer rate lost 1 cent to $1.97/mile.
No single market or region is driving produce freight right now. Last week, the big swings were in the Midwest. Grand Rapids-Madison, Wisc., rose 31 cents to $2.71/mile while Green Bay-Des Moines paid 13 cents better at $2.20/mile, yet Green Bay and Grand Rapids also happened to have two of the biggest declines last week. Green Bay-Joliet, Ill., was down 31 cents to $2.92/mile, and Grand Rapids-Atlanta fell 25 cents to an average of $2.12/mile.
FLATBED TRENDS: Flatbed load posts declined 15% and truck posts rose 3%. The load-to-truck ratio fell 17% to 18.1 loads per truck and the national average rate actually gained a penny to $1.91/mile.
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.
Category: Featured, Management
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