November freight volume figures resist down trend

Spot market freight availability remained strong in November 2013, according to the DAT North American Freight Index. For the fifth consecutive month, freight availability continued to outpace levels seen in recent years, during a time when volume typically declines. Month over month, freight availability declined 9.5%, the result of four fewer business days in November versus October. Comparing an alternative measure, average daily freight volume during the month actually exceeded October volume by 10%. On a year-over-year basis, freight volume increased 8.0%.

Load availability climbed 0.9% for vans, but dropped 5.0%  for refrigerated (reefer) trailers and 21% for flatbeds versus October. Year over year, van freight volume retreated 11%, while reefer loads added 6.2% and flatbed freight gained 4.3%. The relative strength of November’s overall freight volume was validated by an increase in spot market rates. Rates rose 5.0% for vans and 1.9% for reefers compared with October, while flatbed rates declined seasonally by 2.5%. In contrast to November 2012, rates advanced 6.0% for vans and 1.9% for reefers, but fell 5.4% for flatbeds compared with 2012’s record high rates in that segment. Additional trend information and analysis is available at DAT Trendlines or the DAT Blog. Access www.dat.com for further information. Reference rates are derived from DAT RateView. Rates are cited for linehaul only, excluding fuel surcharges, which declined on both a month-over-month and year-over-year basis. The monthly DAT North American Freight Index reflects spot market freight availability on the TransCore DAT network of load boards in the United States and Canada. DAT, a unit of TransCore, is a freight marketplace platform and information provider. Through its services, DAT Load Boards, TruckersEdge, and DAT RateView, the company hosts more than 90 million spot load and truck listings and compiles $20 billion of transacted shipment data annually, as well as automated carrier safety and insurance monitoring through DAT CarrierWatch.