Rising markets for spot reefer freight included Los Angeles, up 7 cents to $2.30 per mile; McAllen, Texas, up 5 cents to $1.86 per mile; and Lakeland, Fla., up 3 cents to an average of $1.31 per mile.
Van load posts, however, declined 5% and truck posts increased 1%, causing the van load-to-truck ratio to fall 7% from 1.6 to 1.5 loads per truck. The national average van rate dipped 1 cent to $1.55 per mile.
Flatbed load volume rose 4% and capacity declined 5%, increasing the load-to-truck ratio 9% to 16.1. The national average flatbed rate dropped 1 cent to $1.82 per mile. Regionally, spot flatbed freight was strongest in the Southeastern U.S.
The national average diesel price rose 8 cents to $2.10 a gallon. The increase led to 1-cent gain in fuel surcharges for vans and flatbeds.
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.
Load-to-truck ratios represent the number of loads posted for every truck available 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, DAT notes.
