BEAVERTON, Ore. — Spot rates see a surge during the week before the Christmas holiday.
“Broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop.com system rose sharply for all equipment types during the week ending Dec. 19,” FTR said. “Dry van spot rates were especially notable, jumping to their highest level since early January 2023. A spot rate surge was inevitable in late December but typically not this early in the month. Still, variations in when holidays fall during the week can disrupt seasonal expectations, so any confirmation of a sustained market shift must wait until at least January.”
The surge comes in the wake of last week’s decline.
Total Spot Loads
Total load activity increased 2.2% after declining by nearly 5% in the previous week. Loads were nearly 36% higher than in the same 2024 week, and volume for all three principal equipment types was up solidly compared to that week. Truck postings decreased 4.9%, and the Market Demand Index – the ratio of loads to trucks – rose to its strongest level since the week of the International Roadcheck roadside inspection event in May.
Total Spot Rates
The total market broker-posted rate rose more than 7 cents for the largest single-week gain since October of last year. Rates were more than 8% higher than they were during the same 2024 week for the strongest prior-year comparison since April 2022. Spot rates presumably will rise sharply again during the current holiday week and typically rise further during the week that includes New Year’s Day. Based on payroll employment data, active trucking capacity apparently has fallen significantly in recent months, perhaps setting the stage for stronger spot rates – especially if holiday trucking demand was stronger than usual. For example, the distribution to retail outlets and consumers of strong imports of consumer goods earlier this year to avoid tariffs might have created more concentrated holiday volume than typical.
Dry Van Spot Rates
Dry van spot rates jumped just over 11 cents after easing less than a penny in the previous week. Rates have experienced larger single-week increases only three times since the week of International Roadcheck in May 2023. Dry van rates were just under 11% higher than in the same 2024 week for the largest prior-year comparison since February 2022. Dry van loads increased 3.1%. Volume was about 30% higher than in the same 2024 week but about 11% below the five-year average for the week.
Refrigerated Spot Rates
Refrigerated spot rates rose nearly 9 cents after dropping by close to 19 cents during the prior week. Rates were almost 14% above the same 2024 week – a prior-year comparison exceeded only by that two weeks earlier for the strongest since February 2022. Other than two weeks earlier, spot rates in the latest week were the strongest since the beginning of 2025. Refrigerated loads increased 10.6% – basically a mirror image of the previous week’s decrease. Volume was more than 24% higher than in the same 2024 week but close to 16% below the five-year average for the week.
Flatbed Spot Rates
Flatbed spot rates rose just under 5 cents after declining by a little more than 1 cent during the previous week. Rates, which were the highest since April, were up more than 7% versus the same 2024 week for the strongest prior-year comparison since the middle of 2022. Flatbed loads ticked up 0.5%. Load volume was about 49% higher than in the same 2024 week and more than 7% higher than the five-year average for the week.
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.
