BEAVERTON, Ore. — Truckload capacity shrank across the DAT One marketplace last week as diesel prices hit their highest point since late 2022, raising concerns among owner-operators and small carriers about whether the rates they negotiate can fully cover their operating costs.
“Truck posts fell 4% overall during the week of March 8-14, with van equipment dropping 9% to the lowest level for Week 11 in at least 10 years,” DAT said. “Even as load-to-truck ratios increased across all three equipment types. Broker-to-carrier 7-day average spot rates declined.”
Broker-to-Carrier 7-Day Average Spot Rates
â–¼ Dry van: $2.28 per mile, down 8 cents week over week
â–¼ Refrigerated: $2.67 per mile, down 8 cents
â–¼ Flatbed: $2.68 per mile, down 1 cent
“Total load posts rose slightly to 3.45 million last week, indicating demand stayed steady despite a decline in available truck capacity,” said Dean Croke, industry analyst, DAT Freight & Analytics.
Van: Truck Posts Fall to 10-Year Low
â–¼ Van loads: 1.26 million, down 5% week over week
â–¼ Van equipment: 155,818, down 9%
â–¼ Linehaul rate: $1.92 per mile, down 8 cents
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 8.1, up from 7.8
“The national average fuel surcharge for dry van freight rose from 44 cents to 60 cents per mile in the two weeks following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran,” Croke said. “Despite that increase, the national average van linehaul spot rate fell 8 cents last week. The average van rate for DAT’s top 50 van lanes by load volume fell by 6 cents last week, reaching $2.18 per mile. In the 13 key Midwest states, which account for nearly half of the national load volume and often signal future national trends, spot rates dropped by 13 cents to $2.31 per mile.”
Reefer: Produce Markets Tighten
â–² Reefer loads: 586,128, up 4% week over week
â–¼ Reefer equipment: 36,515, down 6%
â–¼ Linehaul rate: $2.30 per mile, down 8 cents
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 16.0, up from 14.4
“The national average reefer linehaul rate experienced its biggest single-week drop this year, decreasing 8 cents to $2.30 per mile,” Croke said. “This marks the fifth consecutive week of decline, with a total reduction of 26 cents per mile. Reefer load posts increased 4% last week, driven by a 9% rise in domestic produce volumes and a surge in outbound loads of lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, market. The USDA Specialty Crops Truck Rate Report showed a ‘Slight Shortage’ of refrigerated truck availability in Nogales, South Texas, and Central Florida, three of the country’s largest geographic regions.”
Flatbed: Demand Increases
â–² Flatbed loads: 1.6 million, up 7% week over week
â–¼ Flatbed equipment: 21,046, down 3%
â–¼ Linehaul rate: $2.28 per mile, down 8 cents
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 76.4, up from 69.4
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.
