BEAVERTON, Ore. — Broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop.com system for dry van and refrigerated equipment fell during the week ending Feb. 13.
“[Rates] remain at or close to the strongest year-over-year levels in four years,” FTR said. “Flatbed spot rates were not nearly as strong versus the same 2025 week, but they are the strongest year over year since May 2022 and have risen in 12 of the past 13 weeks. Van spot rates typically fall during the current week of the year, but they likely will remain highly elevated.”
Total Spot Loads
Total load activity declined 3.3% after ticking up a little more than 2% in the previous week. A modest gain in flatbed volume partially offset larger declines in dry van and refrigerated. Load postings were just under 48% higher than during the same 2025 week as all three principal equipment types – especially flatbed and dry van – were substantially higher year over year.
Truck postings increased 4.4%, and the Market Demand Index – the ratio of loads to trucks – fell to the lowest level in three weeks but was still quite elevated compared to levels since the spring of 2022.
Total Spot Rates
The total market broker-posted rate barely changed, ticking up three tenths of a cent. Rising flatbed rates and volume mostly offset drops in dry van and refrigerated rates that also were accompanied by falling loads. Total rates were nearly 13% higher than in the same 2025 week – essentially the same as the comparison in week 5 that had been the strongest since March 2022.
Van spot rates are proving to be sticky on the way down from their recent weather-related spike. Dry van rates increased in the week after the initial 20-cent spike in week 4 and are still nearly 13 cents higher than they were during the week before the surge. Although refrigerated rates have fallen about 23 cents over the past two weeks they remain about 22 cents higher than they were in week 3.
Dry Van Rates
Dry van spot rates decreased more than 6 cents after hitting the highest level since the end of 2022 during the prior week. Rates were more than 22% higher than in the same 2025 week, matching week 5 for the strongest prior-year comparison since February 2022. Rates fell in five of the six principal regions in the data, rising about 2 cents in the South Central region.
Dry van loads fell 12.9% for the first decrease after a jump of more than 39% during the weather-impacted week 4. Volume was close to 45% higher than in the same 2025 week, basically matching the prior-year comparison in week 4 after being up about 63% in week 5. Load volume fell in all regions.
Refrigerated Spot Rates
Refrigerated spot rates fell 17 cents after dropping nearly 6 in the previous week. Rates were nearly 33% higher than in the same 2025 week, down only slightly from the prior week’s positive comparison of nearly 36%. Rates fell in all regions.
Refrigerated loads dropped 24.7% after decreasing 11% in the previous week. Load volume was close to 13% higher than it was in the same week last year. Volume fell by more than 20% week over week in all regions except the West Coast where the decrease was just barely under 20%.
Flatbed Spot Rates
Flatbed spot rates increased just over 4 cents for the largest gain of the year so far. Rates, which were at the highest level since early June, were just under 10% higher than in the same 2025 week. Prior-year comparisons likely will remain strong and perhaps grow larger for a few weeks, but they likely will shrink by mid-March when matched up with last year’s brief run-up. Rates increased in all regions in the latest week.
Flatbed loads increased 4.7% to their highest level since early April of last year. Load postings were more than 60% higher than in the same 2025 week. Volume rose in all regions, led by the Midwest.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
