BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop.com system for refrigerated equipment posted their largest week-over-week spike ever during the week ending May 15 as market pressure from International Roadcheck week added to the ongoing need for fuel cost recovery.
“The jump in dry van spot rates fell just short of a record weekly increase while flatbed spot rates rose for a 20th straight week to a record level,” FTR said. “Dry van and refrigerated rates remain well below their all-time highs at the end of 2021.”
Total Spot Loads
Total load activity jumped 21% week over week – the largest increase of the year – as drivers’ desire to avoid the hassle and scrutiny of Roadcheck sent network freight to the spot market. Volume was at its highest level since late May 2022 and was nearly 41% higher than in the same 2025 week. Even though carriers operating in the spot market knew they could reap huge rate increases during the week, truck postings fell 8.5%, which is the largest week-over-week decrease since January. The Market Demand Index – the ratio of loads to trucks – jumped to the highest level in five years.
Total Spot Rates
The total market broker-posted rate rose by just under 10 cents a mile – the largest increase since the week in early March when diesel prices surged 96 cents a gallon. The total rate was once again at record level, and rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge were just a little over 3 cents below the record.
All-in broker-posted rates were about 43% higher than in the same week last year while rates excluding a calculated surcharge were more than 36% higher. Although carriers operating in the spot market typically do not receive surcharges, the calculation is a proxy for the portion of the rate needed to offset higher fuel costs.
The annual International Roadcheck roadside inspection event always supercharges spot rate increases for dry van and refrigerated equipment, but the rate spikes this year dwarf those in all other years. The next strongest year for dry van was 2023 when dry van rates rose just over 16 cents while the next largest increase for refrigerated occurred in 2021 when rates jumped about 30 cents. Those spot rate increases for dry van and refrigerated were 7.5 cents and 22.1 cents lower than those last week, respectively.
Dry Van Spot Rates
Dry van spot rates jumped by 23.7 cents, which trails only a week in late December 2017 – the week that the electronic logging device requirement kicked in – for the largest single-week increase ever. All-in dry van spot rates, which were at the highest level since February 2022, were nearly 47% higher than the same week last year while rates excluding a fuel surcharge were up about 39%.
Dry van loads jumped 36.3% – the largest increase since the major winter weather event in late January. Volume, which was the strongest since the beginning of 2023, was almost 28% higher than in the same 2025 week.
Refrigerated Spot Rates
Refrigerated spot rates surged 52.2 cents, which surpasses the 45-cent jump in late January as the largest weekly increase ever. All-in refrigerated rates, which were at the highest level since early January 2022, were 45% higher than in the same 2025 week. Rates excluding a fuel surcharge were up about 39% from the same week last year.
Refrigerated loads surged 42.9%, which, like dry van loads, was the largest increase since the weather-related disruption in late January. Volume was the strongest since week 4 of this year and basically matched last year’s Roadcheck week, exceeding loads in the same week last year by just over 1%.
Flatbed Spot Rates
Flatbed spot rates rose by 7 cents, which is the second largest increase ever during an International Roadcheck week. The largest increase was nearly 12 cents during the 2022 Roadcheck week. Rates were at a record level both all-in and excluding fuel surcharges. All-in flatbed rates were about 42% higher than in the same 2025 week while rates excluding a surcharge were up about 36%.
Flatbed loads increased 14.6%. Volume, which was at its highest level since International Roadcheck week in 2022, was about 57% higher than in the same 2025 week.
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.
