BEAVERTON, Ore. — As expected, broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop.com for dry van and refrigerated van equipment jumped sharply during the week ending July 3, resulting in an all-time high for dry van spot rates and pushing refrigerated spot rates to their fourth highest level ever.
“The week leading into the July 4th holiday is one of the most reliably strong weeks of the year for van rate gains,” FTR said. “Flatbed spot rates eased for a third straight week but were only a little more than 3 cents below the record.”
Total Spot Loads
Total load activity dropped 26.9% during the week due mostly to the federal holiday on July 3. Volume was about 36% higher than during the same 2025 week. Truck postings declined 1.3%, and the Market Demand Index – the ratio of loads to trucks – fell to its lowest level since the third week of this year.
Total Spot Rates
The total market broker-posted rate ticked up seven tenths of a cent per mile as gains for dry van and refrigerated offset a seasonally expected decline in flatbed. Excluding a calculated fuel surcharge, total rates increased 4.5 cents. Although carriers operating in the spot market typically do not receive surcharges, the calculation is a proxy for the portion of the rate needed to offset higher fuel costs.
All-in broker-posted rates were close to 47% higher than in the same 2025 week while rates excluding a calculated surcharge were up nearly 52%.
Dry Van Spot Rates
Dry van spot rates rose 11.3 cents after increasing more than 5 cents during the previous week. Although the broker-posted, or all-in, rate is a record, dry van rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge did not achieve that distinction, falling a little more than 11 cents short of the fuel-adjusted record in the final week over 2021.
All-in rates were more than 42% higher than during the same 2025 week while fuel-adjusted rates were a little more than 47% higher than a year ago. The prior-year comparison is tougher than it has been recently as dry van rates rose more than 21 cents in 2025’s week 26 for the third largest single-week gain ever. Dry van rates rose week over week in all regions, although the largest increases were for loads originating in the Northeast and Midwest.
Dry van loads fell 19.8% during the holiday-shortened week. Volume was 40.5% higher than in the same 2025 week. Volume fell sharply in all regions.
Refrigerated Spot Rates
Refrigerated spot rates jumped 24.7 cents for the largest week-over-week increase on record for week 26. The only weeks with higher broker-posted refrigerated rates were the final week of 2021 and the first two weeks of 2022, although the record at the end of 2021 is about 25 cents higher than last week’s rates. Rates adjusted to exclude a calculated fuel surcharge were about 38 cents below the final week of 2021.
All-in refrigerated spot rates were a little more than 39% higher than the same 2025 week while rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge were more than 42% higher. Spot rates rose in all regions, and the increases were especially strong for loads originating in the Midwest and Southeast.
Refrigerated loads decreased 8.6%, holding up notably better than dry van and flatbed during the holiday week. Volume trailed the same 2025 week by just 0.8%. Load postings increased in the Northeast and declined only marginally for loads originating in the Midwest but were down substantially in all other regions.
Flatbed Spot Rates
Flatbed spot rates decreased by just over 1 cent after declining by slightly less than a penny during the previous week. Excluding a calculated fuel surcharge, flatbed rates increased 2.6 cents. All-in flatbed spot rates were 51% higher than in the same 2025 week while fuel-adjusted rates were up just under 57%. Although flatbed rates overall declined slightly, they were up at least marginally in all regions except for loads originating in the Southwest, which is the largest region for flatbed activity.
Flatbed loads fell 33.3% during the holiday week. Volume was close to 47% higher than in the same week last year. Load postings fell sharply in all regions.
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.
