Truckload Capacity Tightens Ahead of Labor Day Holiday

The number of available loads increased 3.7%. The national average van, flatbed, and reefer rate fell 1 cent to $2.15/mile, $2.66/mile, and $2.49/mile, respectively.

VAN TRENDS: The number of van load posts on DAT load boards edged up 2% while truck posts dropped 6%, pushing the national van load-to-truck ratio up to 7.1 loads per truck.

While national van rates have slipped in August, the 100 most active van lanes on DAT load boards are showing signs of recovery. Forty-five lanes were up in pricing, 46 lanes down, and 9 were neutral.

The most notable lane among the gainers: Chicago to Allentown, Pennsylvania, rose 15 cents to $3.04/mile. One year ago that lane was in the $2.25 to $2.75 range.

It’s a good example of the new-normal rate-level reset.

Van markets in Texas and the Southeast region are slipping, and nowhere has the trend been more evident than in Houston ($1.95/mile, down 6 cents). A slowdown in energy-related freight may be part of the story; also, one year after Hurricane Harvey hit the region, much of the recovery and rebuilding is complete.