Spot truckload rates rise despite Labor Day slump

The national average van rate rose for the first time in five weeks, up 4 cents to $2.04 per mile. Rates slowed across the West, including a 9-cent drop out of Seattle WA to $1.40 per mile. Looking at market demand, van freight availability dropped 19% while capacity slipped 14%. The result was a load-to-truck ratio of 3.5, meaning there were 3.5 van loads posted for every van available on DAT load boards, a 5.6% decline versus the previous week. The national average spot rate for refrigerated freight surged 4 cents to $2.32 per mile. Reefer freight availability was down 21% the week ending September 6 while capacity fell 15%, producing a reefer load-to-truck ratio of 10.1 (-6.7%). The national average flatbed rate recovered 1 cent to $2.44 per mile. Load availability declined 18% for flatbeds and capacity dropped 14%. The load-to-truck ratio fell 4.4%, from 37.6 to 36.0 loads per truck. The national average fuel price remains unchanged at $3.81. Load-to-truck ratios represent the number of loads posted for every truck posted on DAT load boards. The load-to-truck ratio is a sensitive, real-time indicator of the balance between spot market demand and capacity. Changes in the ratio often signal impending changes in rates. Rates are derived from DAT RateView, which provides real-time reports on prevailing spot market and contract rates, as well as historical rate and capacity trends. RateView’s database consists of more than $24 billion in freight bills in more than 65,000 lanes. For complete national and regional reports on spot rates, access www.dat.com/Resources/Trendlines.aspx.