BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Thanksgiving holiday took a bite out of the spot market last week with load posts on DAT One down 48% week over week to 1.3 million.
According to DAT Freight & Analytics, the total number of truck posts dropped 30% to 251,080. Thanksgiving can have an outsized effect on load and truck postings: freight swells the week before, then drops sharply during the holiday week when many shippers and receivers close for an extended weekend.
DAT iQ Broker-to-Carrier 7-day Average Spot Rates
▲ Dry van: $2.11 per mile, up 7 cents week over week
▲ Refrigerated: $2.50 per mile, up 5 cents
— Flatbed: $2.37 per mile, unchanged
Dry Van
▼ Van loads: 685,607, down 43% week over week
▼ Van equipment: 129,687, down 31.3%
▲ Linehaul rate (net fuel): $1.75 per mile, up 7 cents
Reefer
▼ Reefer loads: 304,717, down 48% week over week
▼ Reefer equipment: 35,336, down 26%
▲ Linehaul rate (net fuel): $2.13 per mile, up 5 cents
“The annual surge of reefer truckload demand is underway in the Philadelphia region, fueled by South American produce imports,” said Dean Croke, DAT iQ industry analyst. “The Port of Philadelphia is now receiving high-value perishables like Peruvian blueberries and Chilean grapes. This influx creates an immediate logistical challenge: perishable cargo must be quickly moved from port cold storage, leading to a sudden spike in demand for temperature-controlled trailers. Outbound reefer volumes are already 16% higher than last year, while spot rates have risen 4% to average $2.25 per mile. For carriers and logistics providers, this represents peak operational opportunity as shippers fiercely compete for available trucks. The arrival of Southern Hemisphere fruit provides a dependable seasonal shock to the Eastern reefer market, demanding proactive planning from everyone in the cold supply chain.”
Flatbed
▼ Flatbed loads: 313,284, down 54% week over week
▼ Flatbed equipment: 19,982, down 36%
— Linehaul rate (net fuel): $2.01 per mile, unchanged
“At $2.01 per mile, the national average flatbed spot rate held steady for the third consecutive week,” Croke said. “This rate is currently just 3 cents higher year over year.”
U.S. National Average Diesel Price (Source: EIA)
▼ $3.85 per gallon, down 6 cents week over week (ending Nov. 24). ▲ 32 cents YOY
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.
