Home » Spot Truckload Rates Rise While Vans Hit All-Time High

Spot Truckload Rates Rise While Vans Hit All-Time High

fleetnewsdaily | September 29, 2017

The number of available loads on the spot truckload freight market rose 4% while van load volumes on the top 100 lanes hit an all-time high during the week ending Sept. 23, according to DAT Solutions.

The number of available trucks increased 5% but load-to-truck ratios remained elevated:

Vans: 6.4 available loads per truck, down 3%
Flatbeds: 43.2 loads per truck, up 5%
Reefers: 12.2 loads per truck, up 3%

National average spot TL rates made gains and set new two-year highs:

Vans: $1.94/mile, up 1 cent
Flatbeds: $2.25/mile, up 1 cent
Reefers: $2.18/mile, up 3 cents

Nationally, van load posts increased 4%. Rates rose on 66 of the top 100 van lanes, and the national average van rate is 16 cents higher than it was for the month of August.

Regionally, van volume soared 52% out of Atlanta due to an abundance of emergency freight headed to Florida and pent-up demand from delayed shipments due to Hurricane Irma. Despite higher demand for trucks, the average outbound van rate from Atlanta actually declined 9 cents ($2.49/mile). Rates out of Texas markets were also down but outbound averages in both Dallas ($1.78/mile) and Houston ($1.72/mile) were higher than before Hurricane Harvey hit almost five weeks ago.

Spot reefer load posts increased 6% and truck posts gained 3% last week. Flatbed load posts increased 4% while truck posts declined 1%.