BEAVERTON, Ore. — Spot rates rose modestly across all three equipment types during the week of May 3-9, extending a multi-week tightening trend.
“Total load posts on DAT One reached 3.31 million, up about 1% from the prior week, while total truck posts fell to 202,434, down 5% week over week heading into CVSA Roadcheck week,” DAT said. “Higher fuel prices, generally tighter capacity, seasonal demand, and carriers taking time off to avoid inspection-related delays could make this the most expensive shipping week of the year for truckload freight.”
According to Dean Croke, industry analyst, DAT Freight & Analytics, the pullback was sharpest in reefer, where truck posts dropped 10% week over week and the load-to-truck ratio jumped from 14.5 to 16.4, the highest weekly average this year.
7-Day Average Broker-to-Carrier Spot Rates
â–² Dry van: $2.37 per mile, up 1 cent week over week
— Refrigerated: $2.73 per mile, essentially flat
â–² Flatbed: $3.06 per mile, up 1 cent
Dry Van: Demand Builds, Capacity Keeps Exiting
Van load posts climbed for a second straight week while truck posts continued to fall, pushing the load-to-truck ratio close to 9.
▲ Loads: 1,287,438, up 3% week over week
▼ Trucks: 143,867, down 5%
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.01 per mile, up 1 cent
▲ Load-to-truck ratio: 9.0, up from 8.3
“The average van rate on DAT’s top 50 lanes, based on load volume, was flat at $2.36 per mile last week, but 35 cents higher than the national 7-day rolling spot rate,” Croke said. “The 13-state Midwest region, which accounts for nearly half of the country’s load volume and serves as a critical economic barometer, saw average linehaul van rates hold steady at $2.29 per mile.”
Reefer: Capacity Exits as Produce Season Ramps
▲ Loads: 596,923, up 3% week over week
▼ Trucks: 36,364, down 10%
— Linehaul rate: $2.36 per mile, flat
▲ Load-to-truck ratio: 16.4, up from 14.5
Flatbed: Posts Ease Slightly, but the Market Stays Exceptionally Tight
▼ Loads: 1,428,736, down 1% week over week
▼ Trucks: 22,203, down 3%
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.70 per mile, up 1 cent
▲ Load-to-truck ratio: 64.4, up from 63.1
“Flatbed load posts eased slightly and appear to be plateauing, albeit at a historic high,” Croke said. “The average linehaul rate pushed up for an eighth consecutive week and was the highest week 19 national average flatbed rate ever recorded. Load-post volume is running roughly 56% above the same week in 2025.”
According to Croke, conditions are in place for further tightening of spot capacity this week, with Roadcheck typically pulling trucks off the road, Mother’s Day floral volumes adding short-term reefer pressure, and produce season just getting underway in the Southeast.
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.
