Spot market freight volume increased 9.0% in June 2015 compared with May, due to seasonal trends that also drove rates up for all equipment types. June’s strong volume exceeded same-month totals for all prior years except 2014, according to the DAT North American Freight Index. Freight availability declined 28% versus 2014’s atypical results.
By equipment type, June freight volume expanded 8.1% month over month for vans, 9.7% for flatbeds, and 6.6% for refrigerated (reefer) trailers. Rates on the spot market followed the trends in volume by equipment type, adding 1.3% for vans, 0.5% for flatbeds, and 2.1% for reefers compared with May.
On a year-over-year basis, freight volume plunged 25% for vans and 35% for flatbeds, but rose 0.5% for reefers compared with June 2014. Linehaul rates for vans decreased 1.3%, flatbeds lost 1.6%, and reefer rates edged down 0.5% year over year. The average total rate paid to carriers fell more steeply for all equipment types, however, due to the drop in fuel prices that led to a 40% drop in the fuel surcharge.
Intermediaries and carriers across North America listed more than 120 million loads and trucks in 2014 on the DAT network of load boards. As a result of this high volume, the DAT Freight Index is representative of the ups and downs in North American spot market freight movement. In 2015, DAT reformulated the index with 2000 as the baseline year.
Reference rates are the averages, by equipment type, of thousands of actual rate agreements between freight brokers and carriers, as recorded in DAT RateView. Rates are cited for linehaul only, excluding fuel surcharges, except where noted. 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.
Portland OR-based DAT Solutions operates a network of load boards and is a source of supply and demand trends, rate benchmarking, and capacity planning information. Related services include a directory of companies with business history, credit, safety, insurance, and company reviews; broker transportation management software; fuel tax, mileage, vehicle licensing, and registration services; mobile resource management; and carrier onboarding.
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