Trucker 787 Dat Spot 073016 Lg

Spot volume up to end July

Aug. 3, 2016
Vans rates improve compared to June
The number of available loads on the spot truckload freight market increased 3.5% during the week ending July 30, sending load-to-truck ratios higher at the close of July, reported DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT network of load boards.

The big surprise: at $1.64/mile, the monthly average spot rate for vans in July was 2 cents higher than the average in June, when shippers typically have more demand for truckload capacity.

VANS

The number of van load posts increased 6% last week with shippers working to close July on a high note. The van load-to-truck ratio rose slightly to 2.8 loads per truck on a 5% drop in the number of posted trucks. Regionally, markets with the highest average rates showed little or no change compared to the previous week:

  • Southeast: Charlotte, N.C., $1.95/mile, unchanged
  • West: Los Angeles, $2.12/mile, up 2 cents
  • Midwest: Chicago, $1.86/mile, unchanged
  • South Central: Dallas, $1.58/mile, unchanged
  • Northeast: Allentown, Pa., $2.00/mile, down 1 cent

REEFERS

The number of reefer load posts gained 13% last week while truck posts fell 5%, which led to an 18% jump in the reefer load-to-truck ratio to 5.1 loads per truck. However, the national average spot reefer rate fell another 3 cents to $1.93/mile. That’s below the June average but only by 4 cents. By comparison, last year’s national reefer rate dropped 10 cents from June to July.

FLATBEDS

The number of flatbed load posts declined 3% and truck posts declined 7% last week, which caused the load-to-truck ratio to increase 5% to 14.4 loads per truck. The national average flatbed rate increased 1 cent per mile to $1.92/mile.

Most major flatbed markets were down but one bucked that trend: Raleigh, N.C., where strong construction activity helped propel spot rates up 14 cents last week to an average of $2.54/mile. The lane from Raleigh to Tampa gained 35 cents in the past month to $2.55/mile.

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. All reported rates include fuel surcharges.

Get the latest rate trends at DAT.com.

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