BEAVERTON, Ore. — The number of posted loads on DAT One increased 6% to 2.26 million last week, a sign that volumes are building ahead of the July 4 holiday.
“The average linehaul rate on DAT’s Top 50 van lanes based on load volume was $2.02 per mile, 2 cents higher than the previous week and 33 cents more than the national average,” said Dean Croke, DAT iQ industry analyst. “In Midwest states, which account for almost 45% of the nation’s load volume and typically reflect national trends, the average outbound spot rate was $1.90 per mile. That’s up 1 cent, surpassing the national average by 21 cents.”
The number of truck posts rose 14% to 260,189. Load-posting volume was almost identical to that of week 23 in both 2023 and 2024.
Broker-to-Carrier National Average Rates
— Van: $2.07 per mile, unchanged from the previous week
— Reefer: $2.35 per mile, unchanged
▼ Flatbed: $2.56 per mile, down 1 cent
Dry Vans
▲ Van loads: 988,846, up 3% week over week
▲ Van equipment: 181,039, up 15%
▼ Linehaul rate: $1.69 net fuel, unchanged
▼ Loads per truck: 5.5, down from 6.1. 4-week average van LTR: 6.2
Reefers
▼ Reefer loads: 420,875, down 4% week over week
▲ Reefer equipment: 46,266, up 1%
— Linehaul rate: $1.97 net fuel, unchanged
▼ Loads per truck: 9.1, down from 9.5. 4-week average reefer LRT: 11.0
“Reefer spot linehaul rates held steady last week at $1.97 per mile after a two-week decline, reflecting this year’s subdued produce season,” Croke said. “This rate matches last year’s but falls 12 cents short of the rate in Week 23, 2023. Typically, the four weeks leading up to the July 4 holiday see a surge in produce shipments, but this year starts 19% behind last year. California truckload volumes are down almost 30% compared to the previous year.”
Flatbeds
▲ Flatbed loads: 852,144, up 15% week over week
▲ Flatbed equipment: 32,884, up 29%
▼ Linehaul rate: $2.18 net fuel, down 1 cent
▼ Loads per truck: 29.9, down from 32.7. 4-week average flatbed LTR: 31.9
“Posts from most high-volume reefer markets retreated from the previous week’s gains, with Phoenix down 18% week over week, Atlanta down 15%, Fresno down 7%, and Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth all down nearly 5%,” Croke said.
Positive changes in top high-volume reefer markets last week include:
- Tifton, Ga.: ▲ 24%
- San Francisco: ▲ 16%
- Ontario: ▲ 3%
Load posts surged in key flatbed markets across the Southeast (outbound post week-over-week change).
- Savannah: ▲ 63%
- Montgomery: ▲ 34%
- Houston: ▲ 33%
- Shreveport: ▲ 52%
- Little Rock: ▲ 47%
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.
