Spot market truckload freight plentiful; rates increase in November

Spot market freight availability continued to be strong in November 2014, when volume increased 17% compared with the same month in 2013, according to the DAT North American Freight Index. On a month-over-month basis, volume declined in a typical seasonal pattern, dropping 15% from October levels.

Freight volume climbed for the three major equipment types compared with November 2013. Van demand rose 44%, while freight availability advanced 29% for refrigerated (reefer) trailers and 13% for flatbeds, year over year. Truckload rates also were up for all three equipment types: Van rates gained 16%, reefer rates rose 24%, and flatbeds added 15% versus November 2013. Compared with October 2014, freight volume increased 8.6% for reefers, but van freight availability dipped 3.6%, and flatbed demand dropped a full 34%. Rates rose 6.1% for reefers, and 3.2% for vans, while flatbed rates slipped 2.1%. 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 DAT Network of load boards in the United States and Canada. Additional trends and analysis are available at DAT Trendlines. Access www.dat.com for more information.