Van, Reefer Rates Stay Strong

Firm capacity and demand on the spot truckload freight market made for stable rates during the week ending August 23.

The total number of posted van, refrigerated, and flatbed loads decreased 1.4% while the available capacity dipped 0.1% compared to the previous week. The national average van rate was unchanged for the third consecutive week at $2.00 per mile.

Historically, that’s a strong rate for mid-August, and 16 cents higher than the average rate at this time last year.

Van freight availability fell 1.5% and capacity edged down 0.6% for a 2.0% decline in the national average load-to-truck ratio.

In the refrigerated freight market, the national average spot rate remained at $2.28 per mile compared to the previous week.

Reefer rates elsewhere throughout the country generally held strong as freight availability increased another 4.8% last week and capacity declined 2.3%.

The refrigerated load-to-truck ratio was up 7.3% at 10.3 for the week, which is high for this time of year. The national average flatbed rate declined 1 cent to $2.44 per mile.

Load availability declined 3.5% for flatbeds and capacity barely changed; as a result, the flatbed load-to-truck ratio slipped 3.3% to 35.3 loads per truck.

Source: DAT Solutions

Category: General Update