BLOOMINGTON, Ind. —Total load posts on DAT One fell to 2.76 million last week, down 3% from the prior week.
“Equipment posts decreased 11% to 166,704, as available capacity fell faster than freight demand for a second straight week. Spot linehaul rates eased by 4 to 7 cents per mile across all three equipment types,” DAT Freight & Analytics said. “The EIA national average diesel price jumped 33 cents per gallon to $5.13, and fuel surcharges rose by 6 to 7 cents as a result, largely offsetting the linehaul declines. Broker-to-carrier all-in rates were mixed: dry van and refrigerated rates slipped by a cent or two, while the flatbed rate rose 2 cents because its fuel surcharge increase outpaced the decline in its linehaul rate.”
7-Day Average Broker-to-Carrier Spot Rates (linehaul + fuel surcharge)
â–¼ Dry van: $2.96 per mile, down 1 cent week over week
â–¼ Refrigerated: $3.35 per mile, down 2 cents
â–² Flatbed: $3.60 per mile, up 2 cents
“Flatbed contract linehaul rates continue to outpace broker-to-carrier spot rates, averaging $2.91 per mile compared with $2.83 per mile,” said Dean Croke, industry analyst, DAT. “The 7-day national average flatbed contract rate remained above the spot rate for roughly 47 months, from April 2022 through February 2026. Spot linehaul rates remain well above last year’s levels. The dry van rate is up 66 cents year over year, the reefer rate is up 68 cents, and the flatbed rate is up 76 cents compared with the same week of 2025.”
Van: Capacity Exits Faster Than Freight Demand
â–¼ Van loads: 1,217,110, down 4% week over week
â–¼ Van equipment: 111,391, down 12%
â–¼ Linehaul rate: $2.32 per mile, down 6 cents week over week
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 10.9, up from 9.9 the prior week
Reefer: Demand Rebounds as Capacity Keeps Thinning
â–² Reefer loads: 648,839, up 2% week over week
â–¼ Reefer equipment: 33,480, down 10%
â–¼ Linehaul rate: $2.65 per mile, down 7 cents week over week
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 19.4, up from 17.1 the prior week
Flatbed: Ratio Tightens Despite Softer Demand
â–¼ Flatbed loads: 896,559, down 4% week over week
â–¼ Flatbed equipment: 21,833, down 8%
â–¼ Linehaul rate: $2.83 per mile, down 4 cents week over week
â–² Load-to-truck ratio: 41.1, up from 39.5 the prior week
“Last week’s 33-cent jump in the EIA 7-day average diesel price marked the second consecutive weekly increase after diesel bottomed at $4.58 in early July,” Coke said. “Fuel surcharges rose 6 to 7 cents across all three equipment types, reaching 65 cents for dry van, 71 cents for reefer, and 78 cents for flatbed. Surcharges remain up roughly 52% year over year.”
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.
