National average spot truckload rates continued an upward climb following the Memorial Day week, according to
DAT Solutions, which operates the
DAT network of load boards.
A four-day work week would normally account for a 20-25% decline in the number of posted loads, but load availability was down just 9% during the week ending June 4—a good sign for the spot market. Load-to-truck ratios for vans, reefers, and flatbeds all increased as a result.
National Rates Climb
The national average spot van rate jumped 8 cents or 5.2% to $1.62/mile compared to the previous week. The reefer rate added 6 cents for a national average of $1.93/mile while the average flatbed rate was up 1 cent to $1.93/mile. The national average price of diesel rose 3 cents to $2.41/gallon, which pushed fuel surcharges up a penny for van and flatbed freight, and up 2 cents for reefers.
L/T Ratios Up
While the number of loads posted fell 9%, the number of available trucks dropped off by 27%, more in line with a four-day workweek. The van load-to-truck ratio increased 31% to 2.5, the reefer ratio was up 13% to 4.6, and the flatbed ratio climbed 30% to 18.4.
Reefer Demand Up 16%
There’s often a slump in reefer freight availability right after Memorial Day. Things were still trending upward, however, particularly in the Midwest. By region, spot rates for notable reefer markets include:
- West: Fresno, Calif., $2.13/mile, up 6 cents
- Midwest: Green Bay, Wisc., $2.40/mile, up 4 cents
- South Central: McAllen, Texas, $1.89/mile, unchanged
- Southeast: Lakeland, Fla., $1.70/mile, down 17 cents
- Northeast: Philadelphia, $2.16/mile, up 3 cents
Reefer rates have fallen sharply in Florida. The steep drop in volumes in the central part of the state has affected pricing out of Miami: the average rate from Miami to Baltimore, a key lane, plunged 61 cents to $2.26/mile.
Flatbed L/T Ratio Up 30%
