BEAVERTON, Ore. — With produce moving, reefer rates rise modestly, according to DAT One.
The weeks leading up to the July 4 weekend are a traditional peak in spot truckload freight activity, with higher demand to move food and summer retail goods. There were 1.8 million loads on the DAT One network during the week of June 8-14, 8% less than the previous week but in line with load posts from week 24 in 2024. The number of truck posts fell 5% to 247,914, the lowest week 24 total in at least nine years.
Broker-to-Carrier 7-day Average Spot Rates
— Dry van: $2.05 per mile, unchanged for the third consecutive week
▼ Refrigerated: $2.34 per mile, down 1 cent
▼ Flatbed: $2.54 per mile, down 2 cents
“The average rate on DAT’s top 50 van lanes based on load volume was $2.02 per mile, consistent with the previous week and 34 cents higher than the national average,” said Dean Croke, DAT iQ industry analyst.
Dry Van
▼ Van loads: 924,068, down 7% week over week
— Van equipment: 181,192, virtually unchanged
▼ Linehaul rate: $1.68 net fuel, down 1 cent
▼ Loads per truck: 5.4, down from 5.5. 4-week average: 5.8
Reefer
▲ Reefer loads: 424,229, up 1% week over week
▲ Reefer equipment: 48,380, up 5%
▲ Linehaul rate: $1.98 net fuel, up 1 cent
— Loads per truck: 9.1, unchanged. 4-week average: 9.4
“Reefer load postings decreased by 1% again last week, primarily due to lower produce volumes in the spot market,” Croke said. “Fruit and vegetable volumes in the 17 USDA growing regions were down 9% last week. Reefer equipment postings decreased slightly, resulting in the reefer load-to-truck ratio remaining unchanged at 9.1. At $1.98 per mile, the average reefer rate is slightly below Week 24 last year and 10 cents lower than the same week in 2023. This decline is notable compared to June 2023, when month-to-date produce shipments were 10% higher. Currently, month-to-date produce shipments are down 9% (or 6,500 fewer truckloads) compared to the same period last year.”
Flatbed
▼ Flatbed loads: 770,837, down 10% week over week
▲ Flatbed equipment: 32,425, up 1%
▼ Linehaul rate: $2.18 net fuel, down 1 cent
▼ Loads per truck: 25.0, down from 25.9. 4-week average: 28.2
“Last week’s 10% decrease in flatbed load posts aligned with typical seasonal patterns,” Croke said. “Carrier equipment posts held steady, leading to a slight 5% decrease in the flatbed load-to-truck ratio, which settled at 25.0.”
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.
