BEAVERTON, Ore. — Spot rates increased across all three equipment types during the week of April 26-May 2, with flatbed leading again.
“Total load posts on DAT One touched 3.23 million, down 3% from the prior week,” DAT said. “Capacity tightened sharply for both van and reefer, pushing load-to-truck ratios meaningfully higher.”
The following are all-in rates; what the broker paid the carrier.
7-Day Average Broker-to-Carrier Spot Rates
▲ Dry van: $2.37 per mile, up 1 cent week over week
▲ Refrigerated: $2.72 per mile, up 1 cent
▲ Flatbed: $3.05 per mile, up 3 cents
“CVSA’s International Roadcheck inspection event, scheduled for May 12-14, arrives at a critical juncture for the truckload freight market,” said Dean Croke, industry analyst, DAT Freight & Analytics. “Spot rates normally jump during Roadcheck week as carriers reduce their exposure to inspections and related delays. Double-digit week-over-week declines in DAT One equipment posts are typical, creating a measurable supply shock.”
Dry Van: Capacity Drops Sharply
Van load posts climbed while truck posts fell sharply, driving the load-to-truck ratio up by more than a full point.
▲ Loads: 1,234,548, up 6% week over week
▼ Trucks: 142,250, down 12%
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.00 per mile, up 1 cent
▲ LTR: 8.7, up from 7.2
Reefer: Load Posts Jumped
Reefer demand kept building as spring produce volumes ramped up while capacity exited the market.
▲ Loads: 562,295, up 7% week over week
▼ Trucks: 37,439, down 10%
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.36 per mile, up 1 cent
▲ LTR: 15.0, up from 12.8
“Reefer and flatbed segments tighten the most,” Croke said. “Reefer carriers tend to take time off at twice the rate of others, and this year’s overlap with Mother’s Day weekend will further compress capacity for perishable freight. Meanwhile, flatbed operators will face intense scrutiny regarding load securement, a focus area for inspectors this year.”
Flatbed: Load and Truck Posts Retreat, but Rates Keep Climbing
▼ Loads: 1,435,210, down 13% week over week
▼ Trucks: 22,116, down 3%
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.69 per mile, up 3 cents
▼ LTR: 64.9, down from 72.4
“The weekly national average spot flatbed rate has increased for seven straight weeks, adding a total of 38 cents to the national average and bringing it to within 5 cents of the record rate set in late June 2022,” Croke said. “Despite a 13% week-over-week decline, flatbed load posts were 50% higher year over year.”
According to Croke, the start of Vidalia onion season marks a key transition in the produce market, signaling fresh volume coming online in the Southeast as other regions wind down.
“This seasonal shift is helping to rebalance capacity, with new opportunities emerging,” Croke said. “The USDA Specialty Crops National Truck Rate Report categorized seven of 13 regions as having a “slight shortage” of available reefer equipment, and one, Central Florida, as having a ‘shortage.’ If you’re running Southeast-to-Northeast corridors, you have real pricing power right now. Mother’s Day floral volumes are adding pressure for shippers and brokers on top of the ongoing enforcement hangover from Operation Highway Shield.”
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.
