The number of spot market loads on DAT load boards advanced 1.3% and truck posts rose 2.2% during the week ending May 26, 2018, although there were signs of tighter capacity ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.
Nationally, the average reefer and flatbed rates both made gains while the van rate was unchanged compared with the previous week:
•Reefer—$2.51/mile, up 2 cents
•Van—$2.15/mile, unchanged
•Flatbed—$2.73/mile, up 1 cent
The number of reefer load posts was up 10% while truck posts climbed 5%. As a result, the national load-to-truck ratio for reefers increased 5% to 9.7 loads per truck.
Van load posts jumped 6% while truck posts moved up 1%, which pushed the van load-to-truck ratio 5% higher to 7.0 loads per truck.
While the national average spot van rate held steady, upward movement occurred on major lanes out of California and the Southeast and South Central regions.
Los Angeles outbound spot van freight averaged $2.67/mile, up 13 cents over the previous week. Los Angeles to Denver climbed 27 cents to an average of $3.25/mile.
Other hot van markets: Houston ($2.24/mile, up 7 cents); Dallas ($2.12/mile, up 7 cents); Memphis ($2.76/mile, up 9 cents); and Atlanta ($2.55/mile, up 11 cents). Two van lanes worth watching:
—Houston to New Orleans, up 25 cents to $3.20/mile
—Atlanta to Charlotte NC, up 29 cents to $3.36/mile
The flatbed load-to-truck ratio dipped to 89.9, still historically high. The number of flatbed load posts fell 4% while truck posts were up 4%. Flatbed rates can vary widely, and the week ending May 26 was no exception. Key lanes:
—Raleigh NC to Baltimore, $4.33/mile, up 57 cents
—Dallas to El Paso TX, $2.07/mile, down 19 cents
—Cleveland to Roanoke VA, $4.25/mile, up 20 cents
—Las Vegas NV to Los Angeles, $3.93/mile, up 77 cents.
The average flatbed rate from Las Vegas was $3.24/mile, a 41-cent increase versus the previous week.
This report is generated using DAT RateView, a service that provides real-time reports on prevailing spot market and contract rates, as well as historical rate and capacity trends. RateView’s database is comprised of more than $45 billion in freight bills in more than 65,000 lanes.
For the latest spot market load availability and rate information, visit www.dat.com/trendlines.
