BEAVERTON, Ore. — Load posts on DAT One rose 13% to 2.6 million during the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4, which includes the last three shipping days of Q3.
The number of available loads has increased week over week for four consecutive weeks and was 29% higher year over year. Truck posts rose 2% to 237,466. National 7-day average spot linehaul rates increased week over week for van and reefer equipment, with the van rate hitting $1.70 a mile for the first time since the last week of June.
Broker-to-Carrier 7-Day Average Spot Rates
â–² Dry van: $2.07 per mile, up 3 cents week over week
â–² Refrigerated: $2.42 per mile, up 5 cents
— Flatbed: $2.43 per mile, unchanged
“Fewer imports is creating truckload capacity imbalances,” said Dean Croke, DAT iQ industry analyst. “Brokers are facing capacity challenges in California, particularly in the Stockton market, where van load posts were up nearly 20% compared to the previous week. This trend appears linked to a sharp drop in the number of trucks arriving in Stockton daily from Los Angeles, one of the nation’s busiest lanes for spot van freight. With fewer imports arriving at Southern California ports, fewer truckers are moving goods to Stockton and consequently searching for outbound loads. Other destination markets—including Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Chicago—have experienced similar reductions in available outbound capacity.”
According to Croke, brokers reported capacity constraints in U.S.-Mexico border markets.
“Flatbed load posts on the Laredo to Houston lane jumped by nearly 30% last week. Laredo, the busiest inland port in the United States for truck traffic, handles more commercial truck crossings than any other port of entry and is among the most affected by ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities,” Croke said. “The average spot linehaul rate from Laredo to Houston jumped 12 cents to almost $3 per mile last week on 17% fewer loads moved.”
Dry Van
â–² Van loads: 1.2 million, up 17% week over week
â–² Van equipment: 164,217, up 3%
â–² Linehaul rate: $1.70 per mile, up 3 cents
Reefer
â–² Reefer loads: 569,745, up 19% week over week
â–² Reefer equipment: 44,070, up 1%
â–² Linehaul rate: $2.05 per mile, up 4 cents
Flatbed
â–² Flatbed loads: 849,468, up 6% week over week
â–¼ Flatbed equipment: 29,179, down 1%
— Linehaul rate: $2.07 per mile, unchanged
“Flatbed rates inched up last week, rising just under a penny to $2.07 per mile,” Croke said. “The current rate is 8 cents higher than a year ago and 17 cents higher than the same period in 2023. Notably, 2025 spot flatbed rates continue to track closely with those from 2017—a year marked by a strong industrial economy for flatbed carriers.”
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.
