Spot truckload freight volume continued a seasonal decline, falling 12% during the week ending Jan. 28, said DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT network of load boards.
Unlike this time last year, spot freight activity did not dropped off sharply toward the end of January. The national average van and refrigerated freight rates each fell 1 cent per mile while the national average flatbed rate gained 1 cent.
There was 4.8% more available capacity.
VAN TRENDS
Van load posts were 9% lower last week and truck posts increased 4%, which sent the load-to-truck ratio down 13% to 2.5 loads per truck. The national average van rate edged down 1 cent to $1.69/mile and slipped again in key markets:
Los Angeles, $1.95/mile, down 3 cents
Chicago, $2.01/mile, down 6 cents
Houston, $1.54/mile, unchanged
Atlanta, $1.88/mile, down 1 cent
Buffalo, $1.94/mile, down 3 cents
While Houston was one of a few major markets where prices did not decline last week, outbound lanes from Dallas fell off the pace:
Dallas-Chicago paid an average of $1.13/mile, a penny lower
Dallas-Houston dropped 6 cents to $2.09/mile
REEFER TRENDS