DAT

November’s TVI dry van freight reading—at 197—fell 18% compared to October, while falling 12% annually. The November refrigerated (reefer) TVI—at 172—was down 11% sequentially and off 6.0% annually. And the flatbed TVI—at 243—was down 22% sequentially and posted a 3% annual gain.   

October spot truckload volumes and rates were largely mixed again, according to the new edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index, which was recently released by DAT Freight and Analytics.

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Load posts on DAT One rose 2% to 2.26 million last week, while truck posts fell for the second consecutive week, down 5% to 232,703.

Following August spot truckload volume and rate declines, September readings were more mixed, while conditions largely remained the same, according to the new edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index, which was released today by DAT Freight and Analytics.

DAT said that the number of available loads on the spot market headed up over the last week of August, due to the pairing of a national brake-inspection campaign and the lead-up to Labor Day weekend tightening capacity. It also noted that August freight volumes were softer than usual, especially for van loads, coupled with the Van TVI turning in its lowest reading for the month of August since 2021.

DAT observed that July truckload freight volumes were steady, due to summer seasonality being paced by produce and retail goods moving on the road prior to the July 4 holiday, adding that volumes saw a gradual decline over the balance of July.

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The van TVI, at 243, was down 2% compared to May and up 4% annually, and the refrigerated (reefer) TVI, at 191, was down 5% compared to May and up 10% annually.

There were 1.93 million loads on the DAT One network during the week of June 29 to July 5 (Week 27), which is down 20% compared to the previous week and is expected when comparing a holiday week to a full workweek.

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There were 2.3 million loads on the DAT One network during the week of June 22-28, the last full shipping week before the July 4 holiday,” said DAT. That’s 14% higher than the previous week, 2% less year over year, and nearly identical to Week 26 in 2023. The number of truck posts decreased by 11% to 229,752, 45% lower than the same week in 2024.

The firm said that van and reefer rates typically head up in May, driven by demand to move produce and retail goods in advance of Memorial Day increases, coupled with drivers planning downtime around the three-day Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Roadcheck enforcement, which takes place in mid-May.

DAT iQ industry analyst Dean Croke said that dry van load-post volumes decreased by over 11% last week, following the typical pattern after International Roadcheck week.

Following a mixed March, spot truckload volumes and rates were again mixed in April, according to the new edition of the DAT Truckload Index, which was issued today by DAT Freight and Analytics.