Spot truckload rates poised to set records in June

Spot truckload rates on the DAT network of load boards rose again during the week ending June 16.

June 21, 2018

2 min read

Spot truckload rates on the DAT network of load boards rose again during the week ending June 16 and are on track to achieve the highest-ever monthly average for van, refrigerated (reefer), and flatbed freight, according to DAT Solutions.

Despite a 6% drop in posted loads and 5.4% jump in the number of available trucks (capacity typically increases during the week after Roadcheck), national average rates gained for all three equipment types. The flatbed rate set a record while van and reefer rates were just shy of their all-time high:

Van: $2.30/mile, up 1 cent
Flatbed: $2.82/mile, up 1 cent
Reefer: $2.70/mile, up 1 cent

VAN OVERVIEW: Van load posts fell 5% while truck posts increased 4% compared to the previous week. The van load-to-truck ratio declined 8% to 10.3 loads per truck.

The number of available loads increased by double-digit percentage points in key markets including Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta. Looking at spot rates, most of the top-gaining van lanes were in the West, including:

Stockton, Calif., to Seattle, up 31 cents to $3.80/mile
Stockton to Salt Lake City, up 30 cents to $2.87/mile
Los Angeles to Seattle, up 23 cents to $3.75/mile

Houston to Dallas retreated 14 cents to $2.83/mile last week.

FLATBED OVERVIEW: Flatbed load posts slipped 7% and truck posts increased 7% last week, which pushed the flatbed load-to-truck ratio down to 88.7. It was 109 the previous week.

REEFER OVERVIEW: Reefer load posts fell 9%, truck posts increased 6%, and the reefer load-to-truck ratio dipped from 14.7 to 12.6 loads per truck.

Last week's increase in capacity had a bigger impact on reefer markets than on dry vans. While the national average reefer rate ticked upward, many high-traffic lanes had lower prices. Among them:

Dallas to Houston fell 3 cents to $3.57/mile
Elizabeth, N.J. to Boston was down 11 cents to $4.52/mile
Chicago to Kansas City declined 16 cents to $2.56/mile

DAT Trendlines is generated using DAT RateView, which provides real-time reports on prevailing spot market and contract rates, as well as historical rate and capacity trends. RateView's comprehensive database is comprised of more than $45 billion in freight bills in over 65,000 lanes. For the latest spot market load availability and rate information, visit dat.com/trendlines and join the conversation on Twitter with @LoadBoards.