BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Total load posts on DAT One fell to 3.26 million last week, down 5% from the prior week.
“Equipment posts decreased 9% to 197,204 as carriers continued to exit the market,” DAT Freight and Analytics said. “Spot linehaul rates held essentially flat across all three equipment types, but easing diesel prices pulled fuel surcharges down 2 to 3 cents per mile, pushing broker-to-carrier all-in rates lower.”
7-Day Average Broker-to-Carrier Spot Rates
â–¼ Dry van: $3.01 per mile, down 2 cents week over week
â–¼ Refrigerated: $3.37 per mile, down 3 cents
â–¼ Flatbed: $3.70 per mile, down 3 cents
“Lower diesel prices were the story last week,” said Dean Croke, DAT industry analyst. “The national average diesel price eased about 15 cents per gallon, pulling fuel surcharges down 2 to 3 cents per mile to 64 cents for dry van, 69 cents for refrigerated, and 76 cents for flatbed. Average linehaul rates barely moved, suggesting the underlying spot market dynamics didn’t shift last week, only the fuel cost layered on top of it.”
Van: Capacity Tightens, Linehaul Edges Up
â–¼ Van loads: 1,337,258, down 0.5% week over week
â–¼ Van equipment: 139,253, down 10%
â–² Linehaul rate: $2.38 per mile, up 1 cent week over week
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 9.6, up from 8.7 the prior week
“Capacity continued to tighten on the van and reefer sides,” Croke said. “Van equipment posts fell 10% week over week, with reefer equipment off the same amount, sending both load-to-truck ratios higher despite essentially flat load volumes.”
Reefer: Tighter Capacity, Rate Holds
â–² Reefer loads: 657,810, up 2% week over week
â–¼ Reefer equipment: 35,303, down 10%
— Linehaul rate: $2.68 per mile, unchanged
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 18.6, up from 16.5
“Reefer rates remained historically strong,” Croke said. “Spot reefer rates to haul fruits and vegetables averaged $3.98 per mile, down 11 cents week over week but still 48 cents higher year over year. California’s produce season is accelerating: USDA volumes rose 5% last week to match last season’s output, and the average reefer rate from major produce hubs was up $1.05 per mile year over year.”
Flatbed: Demand Softens, Capacity Stable
â–¼ Flatbed loads: 1,261,139, down 13% week over week
â–¼ Flatbed equipment: 22,648, down 5%
â–² Linehaul rate: $2.94 per mile, up 1 cent
â–¼ Load-to-truck ratio: 55.7, down from 60.7
“Flatbed’s pricing pattern held,” Croke said. “Load-posting volumes dropped 13% as projects ahead of Independence Day quieted down, while equipment posts fell by only 5%. The result was a softer load-to-truck ratio, the first meaningful loosening for flatbed since the spring run-up began. Even so, the flatbed linehaul rate ticked up another cent to $2.94, a new all-time high and the 14th consecutive weekly increase.”
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.
